Lariah 's Hemispherectomy 10/9

                       Meet Lariah - Birthday 11/26/2007
     
                      Please Help This Family!!!


The Basics:
On October 9, 2014 Lariah is scheduled for brain surgery to get a Hemispherectomy to control her seizures because medications have had no effect. If the seizures are not managed they will get bigger and more frequent and by the time she is a young woman they will prevent her from being able to work and reduce her quality of life. Not too long ago this procedure was done by completely removing the half of the brain that caused the most seizures, and the possibility of the brain shifting in the extra fluid, causing bleeding and brain damage was high. They are now able to go in through the brain and detatch one half from the other, in her case detatching the left side, by making incisions at certain parts of the brain. So the left side will stay but never be able to function again. It is in a sense permanently turned off.

What this means:
The surgeons have said that Lariah will remain in the hospital for over a month, a few days in the ICU, a week or two on the medical floor, then up to a month on the rehab section, trying to build up all the weakness the surgery will cause to the right side of her body. 
Danielle will have to be there the entire stay and will miss a few months of work when she comes home from the Hospital. While Mario makes life as normal as possible for the other children. Danielle's work is working with her 100%, giving her as much time as needed, without pay. The family is going to need money for rent, utilities, food, etc for their home in Olympia, plus the added cost of food and housing for Danielle while she stays with Lariah (the hospital is not sure if she can stay in Lariah's room and if she is able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house there is a $30 a night fee.) Lariah's father will be going back and forth to Seattle from Olympia, which at $4.00 a gallon is going to be nearly impossible. 

This has been an extremely hard time for the family. Their daughter's health should be the only thing they should have to worry about.

The back story:
2 days before her first birthday Lariah had emergency Brain Surgery to remove an extremely large tumor in the left side of her brain. 3 days after surgery she began to have seizures, but they were not very strong and in a year and a half she was off all seizure medications and was seizure free for over 3 years. Then in February 2013 she had a seizure and from then on they have gotten stronger and more frequent. She has been through more than most people ever will, but always has a smile on her face!