Please Help Bailey Blu and Her Family
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Dear friends, I am reaching out to you today to share my family's story and ask for your financial support during this incredibly challenging time.
My name is Bailey Blu, and I have faced a series of health struggles that have taken a toll on both my well-being and my family's financial stability. To read about Crutcher’s ”First of Its Kind” story, here is a link to the medical journal written about his rare and life threatening illness.
It all started with months of shots during my pregnancy due to a condition called MTHFR. From there, I had to undergo an emergency C-section and filter surgery for a pulmonary embolism. The hospital bills quickly piled up during my 10-day stay. As if things couldn't get any more challenging, my son, Crutcher, needed emergency surgery just a month later for Meckel's Diverticulum with Abscess, spending another 10 days in the hospital. The medical bills seemed never-ending.
To understand why I was a medical anomaly, I had gone through months of testing, which only added to the mounting expenses. On top of that, my son had needed two cranial helmets for his own unique skull condition, surgery to put tubes in his ears (which greatly assisted with his overall health), and we have had countless doctor's visits and ongoing appointments, all of which have strained our financial resources.
Unfortunately, we have also encountered issues with insurance, leaving us with unexpected out-of-pocket costs. The countless trips to medical appointments have not only taken a toll on our emotional well-being but have also come with driving and toll expenses that we simply cannot keep up with.
I underwent surgery for the removal of a medical device, but the journey was far from over. I still require ongoing testing and medication, as I will always be on blood thinners. This means that medical expenses will remain a part of our lives indefinitely. The mounting medical debt, combined with the lost wages from my unpaid time off during maternity leave and Crutcher’s persistent health issues before his ear surgery, has left us in a state of financial distress.
Our need for financial support extends beyond just medical expenses. We are also faced with essential home repairs, childcare costs, and even vet bills for our beloved cats. Nuka, one of our cats, had to have their eye removed due to glaucoma, and two of our three furry friends have special needs that require specialized care. To add to the financial strain, there have been unexpected car repairs as well.
I am humbly asking for your assistance during this incredibly difficult time. Your generous contributions will go towards our medical debt, essential expenses, ongoing medical care, and provide some much-needed relief for my family during this trying period.
Please consider making a donation today. Your support, no matter the size, will make a tremendous impact on my family's well-being. We are forever grateful for your compassion and kindness as we navigate through these overwhelming challenges. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely, Bailey Blu
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“Just when you’ve had enough, life gives you more. And just when you think it’s rained enough, it starts to pour.” – Unknown
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Crutcher’s “First of Its Kind” Story
When Crutcher was just over a month old, we noticed something wasn't right. He was fussier than usual and had a swollen belly, diarrhea, and a fever. We rushed him to Children's Medical Center ER in Dallas, where he underwent tests, including ultrasounds and CT scans of his belly. At first, they thought he had a hernia, but it turned out to be something very rare. Crutcher was diagnosed with a condition called Meckel's diverticulum, which is a small part that sticks out from the intestines. What made his case unique was that it got infected and ruptured into his belly button, causing further infection. Skilled surgeons performed surgery to fix everything, and Crutcher received antibiotics. Despite the risks associated with his young age and the duration of the infection, he fought hard and recovered remarkably well. We were able to take him home after a week and a half. Today, Crutcher is the happiest two-year-old, defying the odds and reminding us of his incredible strength.
Here is the link to the medical journal that was written about Crutcher. I can’t read it without getting tears in my eyes. These doctors truly saved our miracle baby and I will be eternally indebted to them.
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From my Facebook, January 30, 2023:
“First of its kind” I just got the craziest call. One of Crutcher’s doctors called from THE hospital trip. Backstory | Crutcher is 37 days old | May 12, 2021: I took this photo because it was so strange for him to not cry during his bath. He had such bad fever and we were trying everything to bring it down. His appointment with his pediatrician was made for that morning but I had no idea that we were about to experience our worst nightmare. Crutcher had to have “exploratory surgery.” The doctors thought it was a hernia but were shocked when they had started the surgery. Crutcher had a ruptured meckel’s diverticulum with abscess (rare at his age) and omphalitis (rare at his age), but to have both simultaneously and to have the surgery he had was “the first of its kind.” The doctor explained today that his case was exceptionally unique in that with omphalitis, the infection goes from the outside in, whereas with Crutcher, his infection was coming from the inside. The doctors took what they knew about each surgical procedure (for the Meckel’s and omphalitis) and performed the surgery, but were unsure of what the outcome would be. After ten days of constant monitoring, Crutcher was released from the hospital. The surgery was 100% successful. He truly is our miracle baby. His doctor wanted to talk to me today about Crutcher being a case study in a medical journal. The doctor got to hear Crutcher talking like crazy in the background and it made him so happy. He explained that when he sees his patients, it isn’t under good circumstances so hearing how well Crutcher was doing made him so happy. I wanted to cry just hearing how happy he was about little man. He explained that when the case study was published (probably in a few months), he would be sure to send me a copy. What we went through was absolute hell on earth, but I am just so incredibly proud of my miracle baby and the doctors that saved his life. I believe everything happens for a reason, and at the time I didn’t understand why this would happen to our sweet innocent baby after everything we had already gone through with me, but now I am so honored and beyond proud that this sweet baby boy gets to help save lives through his story. This photo is of me crying happy tears as I was finally getting to hold Crutcher for the first time after his surgery.
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From my Facebook, January 1, 2022:
Wow. What a year 2021 was. We had to get a new air conditioning system that cost as much as a car, Nuka had to have his eye removed during Snowmaggedon, mom’s cancer went into remission, I had a perfect rainbow baby boy, I had a pulmonary embolism and nearly lost my life with blood clots in my lungs and stomach and a hematoma, we nearly lost Crutcher to a ruptured Meckel’s Diverticulum with an abscess, Crutcher was baptized soon after by my pastor who was retiring, I took a road trip with Crutcher to see my mom and Mee-Maw in Florida and ended up having to stay in a hotel there and back, Aurea had a major health scare and had to go to the vet, I had surgery to remove the filter in my neck and was shocked at how large it was (2”x2”), I developed a love for papier-mâché, my great-aunt Evelyn passed away, I was a coordinator again for the second Big Art Day which was absolutely massive, I rearranged the studio and finally got proper legs for my table, after months of testing and being poked and prodded I was diagnosed with Lupus Anticoagulant and was told I would have to be on blood thinners the rest of my life, me and Wade celebrated 8 years of being together and 3 years of marriage, I threw my back out…again, Crutcher got a helmet to fix his flat head, we celebrated Halloween as the Addams Family, I got to go to TAEA Conference in Round Rock, my father passed away which brought me and my sisters together and helped forge a new bond between us, Wade and his friend built me a mantle, I sold at the Garland Artisans Market, I built my dream Little Free Library, we got to spend Christmas with all three of our families and actually spend Christmas at home and I actually made wreaths for the first time ever, I watched Die Hard for the first time, suffered through some bank fraud and sciatica, and I found and connected with my brother who I had never seen or met. We ended it was a mosaic date with our niece and our annual New Year’s party. 2021 was a wild ride. Here’s to 2022 being a little more chill.
Organizer
Bailey Blu
Organizer
Garland, TX