The LaBelle Family

Little Ava was born October 11, 2015. A healthy 8lbs 12oz baby girl. Her first month of life was all giggles and smiles until she hit 4 weeks of age. Ava had to take her first trip to Shand’s because her body would not make a bowel movement. Since then, Ava and mom have been in and out of Shand’s hospital in Gainesville. Sometimes it would be a week at a time other times it would be months. With four other children involved this made it very difficult for Mom and Dad. After over a year and a half of Shand’s doing their best work to find answers, they finally recommended Ava travel to Ohio to an experienced hospital that specializes in a specific test they wanted Ava to go through. July of 2017, mom and Ava flew to Ohio to final get answers for Ava. They got just that! FINALLY, after 21 months, Ava was diagnosed with “Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction”. It seemed so surreal. BUT, this was just the beginning of their new journey for their family of seven! They were told Ava would need an organ transplant, while they had answers and new what NEEDED to be done, the time ticked on slowly. Just because they had answers, didn’t mean the hospital stays slowed down. August 27th, 2018, while the family was sitting at gymnastics, the LaBelle family got “THE CALL” for transplant. Within the hour they were on their way to Miami. August 28th- Ava received her five organ transplant and is on her challenging road to recovery! Recovery for Ava can take months. Mom will be staying with Ava in Miami while Ava goes through her long road of recovery. We need help with supporting second housing in Miami for mom to live until Ava is cleared to move back home, food for mom, gas for dad to travel back and forth on occasion, mom to take a trip home to see her other four children she wasn’t even able to kiss ‘see you later’. We do not have a timeframe, but our hopes are high for the most of 8 months. Dad will be in their home town (Central FL) with the four other children. Dad works a full time job supporting the family while the children go to school. Dad will be working hard to keep everything afloat and trying keep as much normalcy for the other children. One of the children is in competitive gymnastics, three days a week and is dedicated to finishing out her 2018 competitions as mom has always made sure all of her babies were able to do what they wanted/needed in order to have their own space/identity. This is a very difficult time with mom being separated from her other four children and the children use to having mom there everyday when they get home from school, to tuck them in at night, see them practice their sports, cook dinner, etc. and this journey has JUST begun with so much more time than anyone knows to go, as a organ transplant is so critical, especially five organs at one time. Ava must be monitored around the clock, and kept very still to be sure to heal properly. The LaBelle family has started on a challenging, unknown and scary road but it is the light they have been waiting for. Ava becoming their healthy daughter/little sister is all they have prayed for, for years. As rough as it may be, they have always stuck together and prayed everyday as a family!

This family has never asked for anything, they have only given whatever they could, to whomever they were able to, made sure their children were loved and well taken care of. Now it would be great to turn the tables and give to them. A food train has been set up within our community and your donations are to relieve a burden wherever else we can during this time (as said above).
Please know that any help you can give, if it’s just a prayer for an easy recovery on Ava, a prayer for the four children home missing their momma, or a prayer for mom and dad to find a balance during this time, and no matter the size of your $ donation, the LaBelle family is forever grateful!!!