Wheelchair Accessible Van for Rosie

Hello, my name is Brenda Martinez, I am the mother of baby Elizabeth Rose Martinez but we call her Rosie. She is the strongest little girl fighting every day with a rare gene mutation KCNQ2-DEE that causes her to have seizures daily and intelectual disabilities as well as developmental disabilities. As a family we have been fighting to provide the best life as possible. Thanks to family and friends supporting us sharing words of encouragement has keep us strong.

Ive been very hesitant to share the need we are facing now because I am afraid of the outcome. I have prayed and ask God for guidance on how to begin this new chapter of our lifes and it was answered by these verse, Mathew 17:20-And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you, Amen. Let me Thank you for reading and following her story. With her being five years old we have come to realize the need of a medical van. As she is growing so well that she is to the point where am struggling getting her in and out of the car. An accessible van will help us get her to her regular medical appoinments and when traveling for family adventures, much more enjoyable aswell as accessible.

Having an accessible van will help us with so much so i appreciate everyone helping, even if its just sharing her story you are supporting us.

Thank you so much.

With Love and respect

Familia Martinez

My Story:

Mom of 3 beautiful girls and one step daughter that I love dearly. Being a mom of all girls has been an unforgettable adventure, which will then lead us to the topic of my youngest daughter Elizabeth Rose also called Rosie. Her life has been a different kind of adventure from the day I found out I was pregnant up to this day with the many challenges medically and emotionally, pregnancy was good with minor sickness up until she was 40 weeks she would not come out. Both of my girls were born at 37 and 38 weeks. When I was 40 weeks 1 day I had really bad back pain and my husband took me to the hospital and when they checked me they were not able to find the heart beat so immediately they decided to do an emergency c-section, but before that they decided to do one more ultrasound and thats when they found heart beat again and was decided to admit me to the hospital. It was a long night! Doctor came in the morning broke my water and a few minutes later baby Rose was born. It took a while before she cried but when she finally did she was put in my chest.

Exactly a week later after being home we were struggling to breastfeed and that afternoon we took her to get a tongue tie cut, doctor said this will help her with her latching problem. After getting home and trying to breastfeed her she turned purple in my arms. The scariest moment of my life. From the first week of her life admitted to the NICU department at our local hospital our lifes has changed drastically. After many tests, blood work, MRI’s, CT scans, Spinal Tab and finally an EEG. Thats when they saw she was having constant seizures and would cause her to stop breathing. Was released with different seizure medications and oxygen tank she would need to be on 24/7. We got referred to the High Risk Infant Clinic and thats when we found out she had cerebral Palsey. She could not hold her head and was not reaching her milestones. From there more referrals were put in including the genetic testing. At four months old she was diagnosed with the rare gene mutation KCNQ2-DEE. At that time only about 75 cases were known, but thankfully now with the studies and research, more cases are known to be able to find a cure.

At only 6 months old she got her g-tube to be able to feed and get the nutrients her body needs. At 8 months old we spent almost 6 months at the hospital for a respiratory infection that ended her having a tracheostomy placed. Had to do training on how to use the ventilator before bringing her home. She has been under a lot of seizure medications that would put her in a very deep sleep for up to 23 hours a day. This was going on for almost two years until we switched doctors and he recommended other seizure medications and I was finally able to see my baby awake for longer times. She was taking medicine that had warning labels! Over the years we have had many hospital runs, many ambulances called, and helicopter rides. But throughout

all this baby Rose has been staying strong. Recently she had surgery for an ileostomy, this was November 2022 and stayed for that month and was able to come home on December 4th of that year. The holidays haven't been easy to celebrate being separated but thankfully God has been with us and has kept us strong for baby Rose.

Rosie has touched many lives by sharing her story. From the beginning not knowing her life expectancy and now surpassing her medical challenges Rosie is my little warrior that will continue to fight!

If you would like to know more about her condition or would like to know about her life please feel free to reach out to me. I will be more than happy to.

With love and Respect

Familia Martinez

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”