Please help baby Cali and support her family!

Hello everyone, thanks for stopping by, my name is Meagan, and it is with great worry and fear for our friends baby girl, Cali, that we ask for your kindness and generosity today. Kelsey and Shawn knew earlier in the week their 2 year old daughter wasn’t feeling especially well, following what seemed like a virus. They rushed her to the emergency room here in Plattsburgh for the second time and after primary pediatrician appointments as well. The doctors there couldn’t come up with the problem and felt it would be in her best interest to head over the lake to Vermont where she was placed in the PICU. Over the period of just 2 days her symptoms worsened, creating quite the anomaly. As of just recently Doctors are suspecting ADEM (Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis). Long story short baby Cali’s immunity is confused and had begun to start attacking her brain. A widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord that damages myelin – the protective covering of nerve fibers. This creates havoc in little bodies and is very scary.

She was intubated this morning and is in an induced coma to pump her full of steroids to hopefully reset her system. She’s not out of the woods yet, but in the best hands with the best care and the fiercest parents advocating for her.

Now- her parents need to stay close and unfortunately the Ronald McDonald House is full and they do not qualify anyway also having a 5 month old.

What I am asking you all, is for you to help me, help them. They are looking at a minimal of a 8 week stay so far for her hospital care and potentially longer for aftercare. Kelsey is a mama bear for her cubs who works part time in our local Maggy’s Pharmacy and Shawn works tirelessly at his home garage to support his growing family who will have to cease work at this time to be with his family. My hope is this community can help with the financial burdens of lengthy accommodations, food, gas, and ferry expenses to ensure they can stay together during this extremely lengthy and scary time for them.

Anything helps, any resources for housing, monetary contributions, food cards, gas cards, positive vibes, or sharing this fundraiser helps. Whatever you can do to help this family out who always so graciously helps others and steps up for their community when needed would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts in supporting Kelsey, Shawn, baby Clay, and especially baby Cali. Please reach out to me, Meagan Strack or Braquel Campion if you have something you’d like to offer or well wishes we could send along.

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”