McKenna's Medical Fund

My name is Chuck Hardin and this is for McKenna Bixler; a vibrant, beautiful and sweet little girl of 7 years that has faced many trials in her short time on the Earth so far. Five years ago Kenna began having seizures, and after a visit to the E.R. when the seizures were occurring what seemed like one after the other, it was discovered by way of CT scan that there was a mass in her brain. She was then Life-Flighted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT with her mom and 1 month old baby brother Xander, where many more scans revealed that she had malformation in her brain known as a Cavernoma(Cavernous Malformation). It was too deep in her brain and she was too small for surgery to be considered a viable option. In the last five years Kenna has endured; several different medications to help with the seizures, many more MRI & CT scans, some complications due to minor bleeding within the cavernoma and the appearance of a second, smaller cavernoma close to the first(just to name a few of her trials). But, she has braved it all with contagious optimism and a proclivity for laughter that can brighten even the darkest of moods.

Though nothing along the journey so far had prepared any of us for what was to come next. A few weeks ago, Kenna appeared to have a seizure; followed by some problems controlling  movement on the left side of her body. Then an involuntary jerking movement began in her left arm, back, and leg. Another trip to the E.R. and another Life Flight to Salt Lake did not reveal anything as the direct cause of her issue. It has been almost three weeks since my wonderful little girl lost control of the left side of her body and the involuntary movement has not stopped since. We called and called the Dr’s, we drove her down to Primary Children’s and got another appointment with her neurologist and this time was given a diagnosis of Chorea, a movement disorder of the dyskinesia family. Only, the Dr has never seen this type of chorea(one side) and never in a child that had not recently faced a serious streptococcus infection(which tests have shown that she has not). So that leaves the cavernomas as the only other possible cause and us still without an answer of what can be done. We have increased her seizure medication and incorporated another which has tempered the movement some; but the constant, 24/7 jerking and twitching of her body prevents her from resting, she hardly sleeps but for a little at a time. She cannot run like she did last month, she cannot ride her bike that she started learning to ride, she can barely walk at times without falling down or running into things. She has bruises on her arm and leg where they have struck furniture, walls, siblings all without her control. She wants to play like she used to and gets so sad or angry when she is unable to perform simple tasks because she has little to no control of her left side. It hurts to see her like this, it hurts to think that she has to go another day not able to do all the things she wants; but then she smiles, she sings and she tries to play off stumbling and twisting as though she were dancing and you realize what an incredible and courageous spirit she really has.

We are currently seeking the help of several different professionals that specialize in pediatric arteriovenous malformations from other hospitals in hopes that someone has seen or has an idea of what can be done to help Kenna get back to the life she deserves. She has wonderful medical coverage that is taking care of so much already; there are however, other costs to be remunerated. Seeking a second opinion, travel to other facilities for evaluations and/or treatment, housing and food expenses when traveling and the fact the her Mommy has already missed many days at work and will miss many more I’m sure before this is all settled and Kenna has her life back.

McKenna has a myriad of family close and extended and we all want her to have the very best opportunities for treatment so that she can beat this thing and get on with the wonderfully adventurous journey through life that we all know she will have. Her brother, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, & grandmas have all been a great help. Kenna’s wonderful mom, dad & stepmom are constantly working together to find the best options for her. And then there’s me; I’m her Chucky-ducky-oodle-noodle-doodle-head, and each day that I am with her, I see her overcoming the obstacles that have been placed in her path, I see that she suffers from the exhaustion and emotional stress of her condition, and I want nothing more than to see her flourishing again, unimpaired. I love this wonderful little girl just as if she were my own and would do anything to see her get the help she needs.