Angie's Angels Medical Fund
This is Angela Hall. She is 11 years old, and loves dance, puppies, Minecraft, and hanging out with her BFFs. But, everyday Angela struggles with pain. She and her mother and two of her siblings have a condition called Autoimmune Encephalitis and a host of other medical issues that come with ALOT of unknowns.
A few months ago she started having some vague symptoms. Her parents hoped that these common infections she'd had were causing her increased pain & numbness - because they would go away with antibiotics. Then in July her pcp referred her to an orthopedic surgeon to see if her thumb was broken and check on her joint pain.
The meeting with the orthopedic surgeon took place a few days later. and the nightmare just got worse when he ordered x-rays of her spine & thumb. The surgeon came into the room and said her thumb was sprained but several other things led him to suspect a case of spina bifida occulta and a tethered spinal cord, so he ordered an MRI of her low back and sacrum.
The next step was seeing a neurosurgeon that knows about the genetic anomalies and encephalopathy in her family. He ordered 3 hours of MRIs and she was rockstar, calmer than most adults with medications. He reviewed scans, checked Angela over again and it was decided that it would be in her best interest to see the specialists on the East coast that were familiar with all of the conditions and were willing to treat a child.
She has an appointment October 20th at Weill-Cornell Brain & Spine Center with an amazing neurosurgeon. After this appointment they will know what to do for her. She can't wait to get back to dance and running around and riding her bike without so much pain & neuropathy. She loves dance. She still goes to dance class to help, watch, be a part the team for 4th year.
Her family has done and is still doing everything they can to avoid illness; lifestyle changes, vitamins, supplements, what you eat, household allergens (no carpet, low VOC paint that washes off easily)....their dog even had to move out. Doctors in Nebraska have done all they can. It is not enough.
Her brother was quite ill with encephalopathy. He was treated Missouri & Florida and is recovering well. Angie desperately needs to go a specialized neurosurgeon to be assessed so that her family will know how to help her. He is 1404 miles away. The Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan is closed for renovations. They will be staying at the Helmsley Medical Tower which is right across street from her doctor.
Unfortunately, simple illnesses that the rest of us can recover from easily can cause major problems for them. Her mother had bronchitis which led to a stroke and a loss of income because her father had to be home to care for her mother and the kiddos. Even now Angie is home sick with a fever. Staying close by costs a little more initially, but also helps to avoid potential hospital costs and is easier on her mother who is still recovering from a stroke.
It is super important to get her there ASAP so the Doctors can start the potentially lengthy process of figuring out how to help this sweet girl.
Please consider offering whatever help you can to help this family out. They work hard to do everything themselves, but even working umpteen hours a day, it is hard to afford multiple doctors visits at $2000+ each time - especially when there is only one person physically able to work. Our goal right now is to raise money for this initial visit - but if you feel compelled to give more, that would help immenseley! This is not a one time cure, it is an ongoing process.
I love these people - they give so much to others even when their life is spinning out of control. Thank you so much for your generousity and prayers!
If donating via internet makes you uncomfortable, Heritage Bank in Wood River, NE is taking donations for the family as well and you can drop them off during business hours, or mail them to Heritage Bank, C/O Sara Arnett, P.O. Box 487, Wood River NE 68883.
For more information about these illnesses
Auto Immune Encephalitis
aealliance.org
Spina Bifida Occulta
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm
