Elizabeth's Journey

Elizabeth was born with hydrocephalus, chairi malformation; severe periventricular leukomalacia, and optic nerve hypoplasia. They told us she would not make it or if she did she would be a total vegetable. Well she continues to defy man. She is 12 years old and has some learning issues but is far from a vegetable. At one day old she had a VP shunt put in for her hydrocephalus. She had to have several shunt revisions in the past 12 years. Well this past December, her vision went from 20/20 to 20/70. They decided to put in a Lumbar shunt February of this year. In May she started having some stomach pains so she went to the Dr and 2 radiologists said she had a ruptured appendix. They did surgery and the appendix was ok but she had severe peritonitis. She stayed in the hospital for 5 days on antibiotics and went home. Then 6 weeks later her stomach was hurting again so back to the Dr she went. CT showed a ruptured appendix again with an abscess forming. They did surgery again and the appendix was bad but not ruptured, they removed the appendix and said the peritonitis was worse now so back on antibiotics and stayed 6 days in the hospital. Two weeks later her stomach is swollen and back to the Dr she goes. This time she has a 12 cm CSFoma in her stomach. She has to have another surgery to externalize both of her shunts and be on antibiotics and stay in ICU. Then, a week later she has to have another surgery to have all the plastic removed from her body so the infection will not travel to her brain. After another week of hospitalization and antibiotics they do another surgery to put the shunt back in her head. They changed it from a VP shunt to a VA shunt. After 17 days (this last visit) in the hospital, she will go home with a PICC line and antibiotics. In about a month she will have surgery 8 for this year to have her Lumbar shunt put back in. It will be a LA shunt not LP. She has endured more this year than most do in a lifetime. The last surgery resulted in more hair being shaved from her head than ever before. This in itself is devastating for a 12yr old. She continues to have a great attitude and keeps a smile on her face despite the obstacles that have tried to get in her way.
They were planning on going on vacation with us to the beach the week she went in the hospital. All she has talked about was getting out of the hospital and going on her trip she missed out on. To add to everything this family has going on, Elizabeth's Aunt and Uncle's house burned down the very night she went in the hospital this last time. With all she had going on she is still thinking of others first. She asked her Preacher if they could take up a love offering for her Aunt and Uncle because they lost everything they ever had. Elizabeth's parents are in the middle of moving to another town where they both work. They are spending a tremendous amount of money in gas each month traveling 1hr to work every day. Now with the hospitalizations it has made it a little more difficult to come up with the money to do this. We all know God has big plans for this little girl. She has a tremendous testimony and is a walking miracle. Her mom has missed a lot of time from work and will be missing more. Her job has been very accepting of all the issues, but the fact still remains that bills keep coming in weather you are working or not. Thanks for all your help and prayers!
***All monies raised will be used for helping the family get back on their feet and adjust to their "NEW NORMAL".