Kade's Krusade

Diana Hill is organizing this fundraiser.

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Our precious Kade Francis was born on January 12, 2020, with multiple medical complexities. We cannot express how proud we are of Kade! He wakes up every day ready to work and pushes hard to build strength for most things most people take for granted (including breathing). Kade has the sweetest personality and most beautiful smile that will melt your heart.

Though several of his issues should have been diagnosed before birth, the doctors missed it. We could not have been more shocked and unprepared. Kade required open-heart surgery at five days old, mainly due to his aorta not being connected to his heart. After almost four weeks in the hospital, he was discharged, and we still did not have a prognosis due to the number of medical complexities.

We are still unable to narrow down one diagnosis as Kade was born with:

White matter loss in the brain causes developmental delays (affecting coordination, motor movements, speech, etc.); high tone and spasticity
VaCTERL association - a catch all. VACTERL stands for vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheo-esophageal fistula, renal anomalies, and limb abnormalities. You only have to have 3 to be considered Vacteral. Kade was fortunate enough not to have anal atresia.
Clubbed left hand with missing radius and shortened ulna; hypoplasia thumb - underdeveloped thumb (without a bone) (thumb removed)
Partial clubbed right hand with radius and ulna of the same size; hypoplasia thumb -underdeveloped thumb (without a bone) (thumb removed)
No left kidney
12-degree curvature of the spine and fused vertebrae in the neck
Vocal cord paralysis is affecting Kade’s ability to speak and even breathe.
Heart Conditions: Coarctation of the aorta – since repaired; Bicuspid valve – abnormality where there should be 3 parts, there are 2; VSD (ventricular septal defect), also known as a hole in the heart. Two holes, 1 repaired and 1 has recently closed on its own.
Severe tracheomalacia (collapse of the airway every time Kade breathes).
Bronchomalacia of the left lung (weakened cartilage usually collapses more easily during expiration and prolongs expiration, or prevents expectoration and causes trapping of secretions.)
Tethered spinal cord (closely associated with spina bifida –a neurologic disorder caused by tissue attachments that limit the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column); High bladder pressures due to tethered spinal cord wherein Kade retains urine
G tube dependent – unable to eat by mouth; Nissen fundoplication was performed to tighten the sphincter to prevent acid reflux
Malformed facies - ears sit slightly lower than normal
High blood pressure- maintained by medication
Eye conditions - Underdeveloped optic nerve in both eyes; Amblyopia (lazy eye) of the left eye; Hyperopia vision is 70/20, whereby nearly all objects are blurry; CVI (What the brain processes. His is delayed.) ONH (The picture your eyes see and pull to the back of the brain for processing is on the blurry side.

Therapy is a necessity for Kade. Currently, he attends physical, occupational, visually impaired preschool, and speech therapy 5-6 times a week. All therapies are crucial for Kade’s well-being and overall health. While a portion of Kade’s medical expenses is covered by insurance and Medicaid, some limitations and qualifications surround the amount of money an insurance program will extend towards therapy and equipment. Specifically, we are asking for donations to help cover:

Robotic-assisted gait trainer – Trexo home (approx. $45,000) – robotic-assisted walking is the cutting-edge technology used in the rehabilitation of neurological injuries and conditions like spinal cord injury.
Handicap accessible minivan (approx.. $50,000)
P-pod chair (approx. $3,000) – support seating system that will allow Kade to take a break from his wheelchair; the molded P-pod chair helps maintain proper alignment and support while sitting on a sofa or floor.
Private nurse, as needed for respite care (approx.$100/hr)

Therapists have said it is essential for Kade to take a minimum of 100 steps a day to train the brain and have the best chance of ever walking. The robotic gate trainer is by far his best chance to gain the strength and coordination to walk. This is our main goal for fundraising, as I would love to see our kiddo experience independence, gain trunk and head control, gain weight bearing on his arms, build strength and endurance, and train the brain to take repetitive steps. It truly would be a dream come true for our boy to get to experience the trexo home.

We invite you to help donate to Kade’s special needs. Your kindness and generosity are appreciated more than you will ever know. Even the smallest donation will significantly impact Kade’s quality of life.

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