Gwen's hope
Donation protected
Gwen is an 11 year old girl that was born with Aicardi Syndrome, a condition that affects her mental and physical development. She is completely nonverbal and has the functional abilities of a 4 month old baby, but she has a lovely disposition, and loves her siblings and her dog. Her entire life has been a struggle for her, filled with doctor's appointments and therapies, and as she had gotten older, she seems to struggle more and more with health problems, particularly in regard to food and digestion.
In February 2013, Gwen came down with the flu, which caused her to have a very long seizure due to fever. She lost a good deal of the progress she had made in regard to her development, and she also began having problems eating and began losing weight. We saw numerous doctors, but none could figure out what was going on. That summer, she was hospitalized for pancreatitis. This caused her to lose even more weight, and she began refusing nearly all food, and finally dropped down to a scarily small, 30lbs. This was her in August:
In January, we had a feeding tube placed. She is finally gaining weight back, (42 lbs at last weigh in and finally on the growth chart) and feeling a bit better. She still has bad days, and her slow digestion causes many issues with severe constipation and gas, but she is making strides in the right direction.
However, she has stopped eating solid foods altogether, and therefore has to get all of her nutrition through supplements via her feeding tube. This costs us over $400 per month and our insurance does not cover any of it. We have already tapped out our entire flexible spending account on her medical bills and food, and as caring for her makes it virtually impossible for me to work outside the home, I have been a stay at home mom since she was born, and funds are already tight. We are hoping to raise money to continue paying for her food and other bills until I can find some type of employment to help cover the growing costs of her care. Any help you can give would be very much appreciated.
In February 2013, Gwen came down with the flu, which caused her to have a very long seizure due to fever. She lost a good deal of the progress she had made in regard to her development, and she also began having problems eating and began losing weight. We saw numerous doctors, but none could figure out what was going on. That summer, she was hospitalized for pancreatitis. This caused her to lose even more weight, and she began refusing nearly all food, and finally dropped down to a scarily small, 30lbs. This was her in August:
In January, we had a feeding tube placed. She is finally gaining weight back, (42 lbs at last weigh in and finally on the growth chart) and feeling a bit better. She still has bad days, and her slow digestion causes many issues with severe constipation and gas, but she is making strides in the right direction.
However, she has stopped eating solid foods altogether, and therefore has to get all of her nutrition through supplements via her feeding tube. This costs us over $400 per month and our insurance does not cover any of it. We have already tapped out our entire flexible spending account on her medical bills and food, and as caring for her makes it virtually impossible for me to work outside the home, I have been a stay at home mom since she was born, and funds are already tight. We are hoping to raise money to continue paying for her food and other bills until I can find some type of employment to help cover the growing costs of her care. Any help you can give would be very much appreciated.
Organizer
Jennifer Howard
Organizer
Gainesville, FL