Our Butterfly: Caroline Georgia

Hello, I am Greg Rowe (Pops) and I want to introduce you to Caroline, my granddaughter. Caroline was born on October 26, 2023. At her birth, hospital staff found that Caroline's hands appeared raw like she had been sucking on her fingers in the womb. Within days, doctors diagnosed Caroline with a rare skin condition known as Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (JEB). This disease is caused by missing keratin and collagen in her skin and causes the skin to break into blisters (bullosa). It makes her skin appear like she has been scalded with hot water. This disease can also cause blistering on the mucous membranes (mouth, nose, trachea/throat, and lungs.)

This disease's presentation makes the patient susceptible to the same secondary problem burn victims have -- infections. Therefore, protecting the skin through careful bandaging and the application of ointments for skin conditioning is necessary. To even eat, Caroline must have her lips and mouth, as well as the nipple of the bottle, have ointment applied to protect her sensitive skin.

Caroline has undergone several weeks of treatment at Dell Children's Hospital in Austin for her condition. The disease has no known cure and many of the current treatments are for topical skin conditioning and relief, pain management, infection control, and respiratory and digestive health. She is home now with her pain managed most of the time and her parents are treating her skin to keep down infection.

With no known cure, Caroline will deal with JEB for the rest of her life and there are possibly several more months of hospital treatments, including possible surgeries. Aisha (Mom -- she is listed above as Gloria) is unable to work at this time; Ryan (Dad) is underemployed in the current job market; and they have three other children. This fundraiser is to assist with Caroline's medical expenses, as well as the needs of the family, including income replacement for Mom's and Dad's time away from work.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this fundraiser. Any assistance is greatly appreciated by Caroline and her family.