#AMELIASTRONG!!! Hope for Amelia!!!

My name is Jaime and I am reaching out to raise money to help my sister Lauren with my seven month old niece, Amelia.  She was in critical but stable condition at Children's Mercy Hospital.  

Amelia Kelley was born on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at Mercy Hospital, in Joplin, MO.  

She was a perfectly healthy newborn infant girl weighing 7 lbs, 10 oz.  On Saturday morning, September 12, 2020, Amelia quit breathing and became unresponsive at her home in Carthage, MO.  She was then rushed to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MO.  Paramedics were able to successfully resuscitate her twice estimating approximately 10 minutes without oxygen.  

Later that afternoon, tests revealed that she was diagnosed with non accidental blunt force trauma.  Doctors revealed that her significant brain injuries are consistent with shaken baby syndrome.  Tests showed a severe brain bleed in the back of her head, hemorrhages in both eyes, and a fractured rib that had been healing.  Her prognosis was not good as she was not expected to survive the night.  Family members were called to say their goodbyes. 


The police were called in to investigate and upon speaking with my sister Lauren and Amelia's father, they were able to get a confession from him.  He admitted to shaking her that morning while Lauren was sleeping, as well as approximately two weeks prior to that while Lauren was at work.  He was arrested at the hospital and charged with 2 class B felony, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in serious emotional or physical injury and 1 class D felony endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk - 1st degree.  He is incarcerated pending trial.


Amelia was life flighted to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO on Monday, 

September 28, 2020.  Amelia spent four months in the hospital and has undergone many procedures and treatments.  She was in a coma and on a ventilator.  She had fluid drained from her brain on multiple occasions, EEG, MRI, and CT scans, as well as many other life saving procedures provided in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.  Gradually, she began to open her eyes, but is not tracking.  She has regained some movement in her arms, but is still not moving her legs at all. She has been diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Failure with Hypoxia and Hypercapnia, Aspiration Pneumonia, Brain Injury, Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Non-accidental Traumatic Injury To Child, Retinal Hemorrhage of Both Eyes, Subdural Hemorrhage, and Cerebral Palsy.  


Amelia doesn’t have a gag reflex, cannot swallow, and isn’t blinking.  At this time, they do not believe that she will be able to walk or talk and will be bedridden the rest of her life.  She has failed her hearing test on more than one occasion.  Every part of her brain is showing damage and makes recovery not likely, but we are holding on to hope.  Doctors made the decision to remove her from the ventilator in hopes that she would breathe on her own.  That was a success!  Unfortunately, Amelia was not able to handle her secretions so the decision was made to surgical place a trach and a feeding tube.  


On Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at the age of six months, we were finally able to bring baby Amelia home from the hospital!  For the first time, in four months our family was able to hold and visit her due to COVID restrictions and very limited visitors in the hospital.  


Amelia is very fragile and requires nursing care twenty-four hours a day.  Someone must be awake with her by her side 24/7.  Amelia has a Pulse/Ox Machine, Suction Machine, Cool Air Compressor, Oxygen Concentrator Machine, Cough Assist Machine, Nebulizer Machine, and her G2 Feeding Pump that all must be run on electricity.  It is also critical that she has access to either distilled water or boiled water for her trach change/care.  She has been added to the Medical Customer Program through Evergy, but this does not guarantee immediate restoration in the event of a power outage.  They were advised into looking into backup options for situations that arise such as a home generator.  


We know that Lauren is going to need help with medical expenses and supplies for Amelia’s home care that insurance doesn’t cover.  She also has other bills that she is going to need help with including gas and maintenance of her vehicle to ensure that she is able to get Amelia to and from Children's Mercy Hospital for her Palliative Care Home Vent Team numerous doctors appointments.  Eventually, she will need a handicap accessible van as Amelia grows. 


We are a very close knit family and have all rallied to help in any way that we can to see that Amelia is taken care of so my sister isn’t carrying all of the weight on her own.  Financially, she is going to need more than what we are capable of doing.  Our family really appreciates any and all help and prayers that we can get for baby Amelia as it has taken a lot to swallow our pride and create this to ask for help.  Coming to terms with this has made us open our eyes and hold each other a little tighter, life is so precious.  There is so much evil in the world.  Thank you so much and we hope you have a very blessed day!