Helping Baby Maeve fight Infant Botulism

I am Vanessa, contacting you on behalf of my cousin, Maeve Noelle, along with her parents, Michael and Novie McManus. Just a little week ago, they were cherishing their healthy 2-month-old baby girl. Presently, baby Maeve is battling for her life in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hackensack Children’s Hospital in New Jersey. Maeve was admitted to the hospital due to issues with eating and urinating. Maeve has lost her ability to swallow and needed to be intubated for breathing assistance, along with a feeding tube. Following a few days, Maeve was diagnosed with infant botulism.

Infant botulism is an uncommon illness that affects only 1 in 1,000,000 infants. It is life-threatening and necessitates a specific medication from California that costs $43,000 per vial. Maeve has received this medication and is currently under a medically induced coma.

The path to recovery will be gradual and will involve various therapies, such as Respiratory Therapy, Speech Therapy to regain swallowing function, and Physical Therapy to restore movement. We remain optimistic that Maeve will make progress, thanks to the exceptional care provided by the dedicated team of doctors and nurses at Hackensack Children's Hospital.

Understandably, Maeve's parents are fully dedicated to her care at this moment and are not yet prepared to face the substantial medical expenses ahead. Many of us, their friends and family, feel powerless as we are unable to visit or offer direct support. We believe that extending our love and support to the McManus family in this challenging time is a meaningful way to assist them.