TAYLOR'S Journey to walk

Taylor Welch, a 5 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy from Southern Ontario has been selected for a life changing surgery only offered in St. Louis called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). This is a very exciting time for the family, however the pricetag that comes along with it is $150,000 and her surgery date is quickly approaching this September, 2017.

In an effort to reduce the cost to the family, this GoFundMe page has been created! Please join Taylor, Family and Friends on Taylor's Journey to Walk!

Please Read Taylor's Story Below:

Born 12 weeks premature in August of 2011, Taylor Welch was ready to meet her parents. She immediately  touched the hearts of everyone who surrounded her.  At this time, nurses and doctors did not know why Taylor was born prematurely since there was no complications or infections.

Taylor spent the first four weeks of her life in the NICU at Sick Kids hospital, when she was then transfered to Oshawa's NICU unit for another four weeks.

In true Taylor fashion, she fought hard each day overcoming the odds and surprising her mom, dad and the nurses each and everyday!

Over time and with close examination that included brain ultrasounds, doctors determined that the one side of her brain was covered with cysts. At this time they told Derek and Meredith (Taylor's parents), that she will likely have cerebral palsy (CP) but unsure of how severe.  

After receiving the news and returning home from the hospital, mom and dad didnt know what to expect and within six months after being born, Taylor was officially diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Since then, she has gone through physio as well as 14 botox injections every three months to try and control the stiffness that comes with the condition.

In January of 2015, the family started their  journey towards the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) Procedure. The family spent days completing paper work and videos to try and get her accepted for the life changing procedue offered in St. Louis. 

However, that was all put on hold when Taylor's x-rays showed that her hips were 50% and 60% out of the sockets and she would need to have surgery to fix them.

In June of 2015, Taylor had double hip reconstruction surgery. The surgeon cut both leg bones in half, reset the hip joint and then using plates and screws, put Taylor's leg bones back together. This surgery involved ten weeks in the hospital with her mom by her side recovering and doing intense physio. Unfortunately, we were told we would had to wait another six months before we could reapply.

As Taylor started Junior Kindergarten in September, 2015 life got a whole lot busier with appointments and school and everyday life and we didn't get back to applying again until the summer of 2016. As we waited nervously for a response, we got an email right before Christmas asking for a few more videos!  After submitting those on January 25, 2017 we got the letter saying she was ACCEPTED for the SDR procedure in St. Louis.

People of all ages with CP travel from around the world to have Dr. Park perform this surgery, as it is the only place in the world that currently offers this type of procedure which is less invasive and only requires three or four nights in the hospital, but lots of intense physio afterwards.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Taylor knows she is one of those children who puts a smile on everyone's face as soon as they meet her.  From her amazing personality and sense of humour, she has touched the hearts and lives of many who surround her. We have tried to make Taylor's life as exciting as possible despite her disability, to try and make it feel like her outtings are not comprised of only physio and appointments.

We enrolled Taylor in all kinds of activities from horseback riding, skiing, skating, swimming and maybe one day dancing (which is her favorite things to do). At three years of age we got her a powerchair and that unleashed a new Taylor, one with independece and some freedom from mom and dad. Just like any child with this type of freedom, she wanted to explore the world and for a three year old she didnt need to go far. The last two years in JK and SK she has made some amazing friends from students to teachers, and especially her EA, who has become her best friend. They have touched us all with kindness and bring so much joy to Taylor,  but being in a wheelchair she is limited to what she can do. Taylor can't always go where her friends go, and she needs help with everything that is related to mobility. 

This surgery will change not only her life forever but all of our family and friends lives forever. Taylor will still require help with various tasks, but after surgery Taylor will have the independence she deserves.

Dr. Park feelst hat she will be able to walk with a walker full time which is a remarkable task since Taylor can't even stand or sit on a flat surface by herself right now.

With help from family, friends and strangers we are trying to raise $150, 000 for our family to go to St. Louis and have the SDR surgery done. 

A quick break down of the cost associated:
-SDR surgery $55,000
-Orthopedic surgery (PERC) $20,000
-Hotel and travel expenses for 4 week stay in St. Louis $15,500
-Equipment deposit $8,500
-Home equipmet $5,000
-3x /week physio for 28 weeks @ $115 and hour $10,000
-5x/week for 52 weeks after surgery @ $115 an hour is $30000
-Ability camp $10000

Join Taylor's Journey to Walk on Facebook and keep up with ongoing events, updates and more!

We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts!

Sincerely,

Taylor, Derek and Meredith Welch