Team Sawyer

On October 28, Sawyer was born 6 weeks prematurely, weighing a little over three pounds, a challenge in and of itself.  What doctors and her parents weren’t prepared for, however, was to discover that Sawyer has a condition called Split Hand and Foot Malformation (SHFM) or ectrodactyly involving both feet and both hands to varying degrees.  At eight days old, it was discovered that she also has a coloboma and micropthalmia in her right eye, conditions which will severely impair her vision.  Sawyer remains in the NICU, as she is having difficulty eating and growing well, and genetic testing is being done to determine if there might be other “surprises” we’re yet unaware of.

Sawyer's mom, Tara, says in a blog post, "We are overwhelmed.  We are heartbroken.  We are devastated for what this means for our little girl...And we are hopeful.  While nothing will ever look completely 'normal,'  we have already spoken to one pediatric orthopedic surgeon who was optimistic about full functionality of her hands and in his words, 'her feet are completely shoe-able.’“

Many people have asked how they can help or what Tara and Ryan need. The truth is that there are many unknowns regarding Sawyer’s condition and what treatments will be necessary, but we do know that Sawyer will have a number of reconstructive hand surgeries over the next year or so, baby eyewear of some sort, along with continuing therapies.  Insurance will cover much of the medical expenses, but there are high deductibles, copayments for countless visits to various specialists, travel expenses, and an unexpected loss of income for Tara, a NICU nurse herself, who will need to be home to care for Sawyer much longer than she had expected.  

With this site, we hope to offer financial support to Sawyer and her parents.  We thank you for your prayers and support.