Serenity Grace Garcia

Sammantha and Carlos Garcia appreciate the time you have taken to read this today. We ask for your prayers as they continue to raise Serenity into the strong little girl she is.

Serenity is a precious, 2-year-old toddler, who is full of laughter, joy, peace and well, serenity.

She was born with a health condition called Laryngomalacia, which created issues when swallowing liquids and solids. At just 2 days old, she had lost 10% of her body weight due to her not being able to eat nor keep down what she could.

At 6 months old she was then diagnosed with an on going case of bilateral ear infections. Due to the chronic infections, Serenity has developed a delay in gross motor skills and speech. She has also developed issues with her balance, where she now has to wear orthotics to help her feel more stable.

In the span of her 2 years on this earth, Serenity has went through 4 surgeries due to these chronic ear infections!

She has also:

• Built a resistance to multiple antibiotics (oral, compound medications, drops, injections, and so much more.)

• Placed through multiple hearing tests due to the chance of her losing her hearing while being treated with the different types of medications.

•Gone through CT's, XRAYS, Larynscopic procedures

And so on...

Serenity has been seen by multiple panels of doctors and specialists from New Mexico (UNM, Presbyterian, National Sinus Inst, and Hearing & Balance.) She has also visited the Mayo Clinic in Denver, Colorado.

Unfortunately, there has not been much progress.

UNM ENT Specialists now consider Serenity a rare case. As most of these treatments "cure" the average toddler/adult.

Sammantha and Carlos now have only two options.

1. To put her through another surgery, where the surgeon will need to drill the skull behind her ear to remove the possible bone infection that is taking place. With the chances of her hearing being affected and/or her facial structure also being affected.

Or

2. Insert a long term IV,

called a picc line, and administer antibiotics into her arm 3 times a day in hopes that this will kill the infection. (Nothing else is strong enough to kill the infection.)

Both, Carlos and Sammantha decided to go with the picc line. But unfortunately that’s not where it ends.

Due to the multiple surgeries and having to take time off from work to care for Serenity, as she is unable to attend daycare due to the picc line.

Carlos and Sammantha are now beginning to see a struggle with finances due to medical expenses, time off from work, gas, food, and so on.

We are hoping to reach our goal to provide Serenity with the proper care of a Home Care nurse who can administer her medication, while Sammantha and Carlos can plan to go back to work. As well as any financial support for their family during this difficult time.

We are extremely appreciative of anything you may donate to us. We truly pray that every donation that is given, be multiplied to each of you for blessing our family. We understand if you cannot donate, but ask that you keep the family in prayer.

Thank you,

The Garcia Family

*UPDATE 6.16.23*

Serenity is a strong little one! She has been pricked with needles more than 4 times a day and soooo much more. The doctors ended up taking the picc line out due to a blood clot and it creating another infection. They have been running many test from blood, urine, ear drainage, and so on. She has developed some awful side affects due to the strong antibiotics that she is on (2 running consecutively 24/7). She has only gotten 4-5 hours of sleep these past 3 days of being admitted.

With not many options left, Serenity is scheduled for a mastoidectomy, a surgery where she will need to get her skull drilled behind her ear to get rid of most of the ear infection. The doctors are hoping this surgery will help her... Due to her past picc line creating issues, doctors will want Serenity to stay admitted into the hospital after her surgery. They want to make sure they can treat her for any possible infections with more antibiotics if needed.

Thank you all for your continuous support and donations. We pray that God bless you and your families with finances, healing, and/or anything else you may need.

The Garcia Family

*UPDATE 6.19.23*

I apologize for those who have been waiting for an update. It has been a scary couple of days with many complications...

Serenity continued to get worse as time went on. She began to get super lethargic and not eating or drinking. Her blood results were high when checking her liver, potassium, and a few other areas throughout her body.

Every doctor, including Infectious Disease, told Carlos and I that Serenity is like a puzzle and that they're trying to figure out what could be causing so many of her issues.

Finally, yesterday one of the Infectious Disease doctors realized that she was having a drug reaction to the antibiotics that she has been on for the past 4 weeks!

Doctors needed to stop every medication. As her liver began to get worse and her body was trying to fight.

Today, her levels are slowly making their way back to normal. She is also slowly getting back to her normal self. She definitely has anxiety and some trauma due to her experience.

We are working with PT to make sure her gross motor delays don't get worse. While also trying to let her walk around a little room to build her muscles up again.

She's slowly coming off her fluids as she's eating and drinking little bits here and there.

Tomorrow is her surgery... So let's cross our fingers all goes well. Doctors said depending on the surgery, they can determine if the rest of her recovery can be at home.

We still will need to take time off from work either way. But there's no place like home.

*UPDATE 6.21.23*

At around 4pm yesterday, Serenity was wheeled off to her procedure.

Her surgeon was able to remove a good amount without it affecting her hearing and facial nerves.

Her liver, kidneys, etc. are slowly starting to work normally as she is now recovering. We are still taking precautions when it comes to pain relief. Currently, Tylenol nor Ibuprofen are as safe as they should be. This is due to the Tylenol affecting the liver and Ibuprofen creating a higher chance of her bleeding since she is on blood thinners for her blood clot.

The surgeon collected cultures from her ear. So until we receive the results from the lab, she will continue to be admitted here at UNM Hospital.

These results will help the doctors determine if she is safe to go home or to continue another course of antibiotics here in the hospital.

Please continue to pray for us. It has definitely affected the entire family, as we have all taken shifts with watching not only Serenity but also our son Santos.

Again, we thank all of you for your donations. You have no idea how helpful you all have been. You are a part of Serenity's testimony. It has been difficult to see her go through this. But God has truly opened our eyes to see His work being done through her and around her.

The Garcia Family

*UPDATE 6.27.23*

Serenity was finally discharged Sunday evening!

She continues to heal from her many complications while in the hospital, as well as her surgery. Though she is still having to do injections twice a day at home and other medications, she is slowly acting like her normal self again.

Your donations have helped us tremendously while in and out of the hospital. As I have to continue staying home to take her to many follow- up appointments and labs these next two weeks.

Thank you all so much for the prayers, the fasting, the donations, the support, and so much more. God is truly good!

Much love,

The Garcia Family