Payton's Spine Surgery Fund

https://orangeandwhitereport.com/finding-inspiration-for-a-tiny-vol-fan-e071c691357d#.9687bft71 ‌


https://www.facebook.com/foxnashville/posts/10155081802357290

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Health-Care/2017/04/09/Super-Bowl-baby-born-with-rare-spine-condition-is-miracle-for-Johnson-City-parents.html?ci=stream&lp=1&p=1


Our daughter Payton is going to the children's hospital at Boston.We found out at 25 weeks she was diagnosed with a hemivertebra which is a rare congenital malformation of the spine which results in deformation of the spine, such as scoliosis, lordosis, or kyphosis in her T-10 and another spot in her spine which happens in 1 out of 1000 births and she has a 13th rib which is unusual and doctors have no idea why. After consulting with Drs from University of Tennessee we are going to Boston's children's hospital which is #1, to straighten her spine to be normal healthy little girl. Well we talked to the top dr n the spine center and the director/professor of the spine institute at Boston and they said they deal with this which is rare but does happen and sometimes they don't even have to have surgery depending on the curve but our daughter will have to have surgery to place the rods n her back to straighten her spine out correctly starting when she gets alittle older. They say it will be a long and costly process but they will do all they can to make sure one day she can be a lady Tennessee Vol. I work as a federal law enforcement officer and my wife got fired for being pregnant and for having to go to all the specialist over the baby and now having a hard time finding a job even though she has a BS n business and marketing. We have to commute 15 hrs to Boston and makes it difficult on one income and only 1 dependable vehicle to get back and forward. Any funds raised and not used for medical expenses will be donated to children's charities like St. Jude's etc. Please if there is anyway possible you can help. Thank you


Payton McCormick is a special baby.
“We decided to name our daughter Payton after Peyton Manning. She is our little miracle,” proud father Anthony remarks, “We tried for four years to have her and we found out a few weeks after Peyton won his last Super Bowl that we were having a baby, so she is a Super Bowl baby.”

But when the pregnancy hit twenty-five weeks, everything changed. Doctors informed Anthony, 36, and wife Phala, 32, that their baby would be born with hemivertebra — a congenital defect of the spine.

The McCormicks, who live in Johnson City, faced unique obstacles. Anthony works three hours away in West Virginia, as a Federal Officer for the U.S. Department of Justice. Phala was fired from her job as a business manager due to having to take days off for appointments with specialists, so the McCormicks became a single-income family unexpectedly. And then, on October 7, 2016, Phala gave birth to Payton seven weeks early. The baby they’d tried to have for four years weighed just 4.5 pounds at birth.

Now three months old and weighing ten pounds, Payton presents a smiling face to the world. But her parents are facing the realities of having a child with special needs.

A hemivertebra occurs when only one half a a vertebrae develops in the spine. The result is a triangular, wedge-shaped vertebra, which leads to congenital scoliosis or other serious spinal conditions.

Physicians have limited options when it comes to treating hemivertebra, and those options occur early in life.

“After consulting with doctors from the University of Tennessee, we are going to the Children’s Hospital at Boston,” Anthony says. “We talked to the top doctor in the spine center and the director/professor of the Spine Institute at Boston. They deal with this condition, which is rare.”

Having to make the 15 hr trip from the Tri-Cities to Boston for Payton’s doctor appointments has placed additional strain upon the family. Now living solely on Anthony’s income, the fact that they only have one reliable car turns every doctor’s appointment into a devastating ordeal.

“We only have one dependable vehicle and I use it traveling to work. My wife’s car is old and has a lot of problems which doesn’t make for safe, dependable transportation. She has to drive 15 hours one way from Johnson City to Boston for Payton’s doctors appointments and we can’t afford anything else on one income.”

And that’s how matters stand as the countdown clock for Payton continues to tick. Right now, she’s too young to treat for hemivertebra, but that’s all going to change in three months.

“They say it will be a long and costly process but they will do all they can to make sure one day she can be a Lady Vol,” says Anthony, “They are currently undecided on what type of procedure to start with; it will depend on which way her spine curves. They are going to try to do a cast to correct the spine and if that doesn’t work then she will need surgery to place rods in her back to correct the spine.

“They are going to start in May when she is six months of age. They’ll treat her more aggressively when they know for sure which way her spine is curving, but until then, they are just monitoring her growth and developing a plan going forward.”

For children in Payton’s situation, orthopedic surgeons usually use a “growing rod”, which can be lengthened every 6–8 months to adapt for the child’s growth rate. That means she will potentially undergo two back surgeries a year.
As a result, Anthony and Phala know they’ll need to find ways to inspire their daughter as she grows up, and they have a great idea for how to do so…

The Tennessee Volunteers.
Anthony has reached out to the University of Tennessee and the Manning Foundation, hoping someone would help him to get in touch with Peyton Manning. So far, no one has responded to his request. His idea was that a memento from her famous namesake would help to keep his daughter fighting through the repercussions of her spinal deformity.

“Peyton Manning overcame a lot with his spinal injury, but he worked through it. He played several more years in the NFL and finished his career with a Super Bowl win.” Anthony explains. “He has done a lot for the university on and off the field and always gives back to the school in different ways. Peyton is a great role model for what a VFL is all about.”

But The Sheriff is not the only Volunteer the McCormicks would hold up as an example to their daughter as she grows.

“Eric Berry had a fight with cancer. He never gave up, fighting to overcome his cancer and getting back out on the field.” Anthony adds, “We also like Jason Witten and have been to Dallas several times to see him play. He is also a great role model.”

And role models are what Anthony and Phala want for Payton. They are hoping someone will get the message to the men they will hold up as examples for their daughter, and that those men can find it in their hearts to respond with items and personal messages that can keep Payton fighting.

“Well it’s just something for her to be inspired about — a never give up attitude overcoming her spinal deformity and being able to achieve anything you want if you work hard enough for it.” Anthony says. “ Our dream for Payton is to overcome her spinal deformity so she can have a healthy life, as any other parent would want for their child. Hopefully, she can play some type of sport at UT and be a Lady Vol if we can get a scholarship or something for her. Both her mom and I were athletes in school so we are hoping she will be athletic as well, and be able to wear the orange and white.”

Dreams.
What every parent has for their child. And little Payton McCormick inspires dreams not only for her family, but for anyone who sees her adorable little face. Her parents, however, are facing a daunting path to the future they pray their daughter will someday enjoy. Having a child with special needs is a long and expensive road, terrifying for a family that is newly single income and with challenges even getting their daughter to the care she needs.

But at the end of those long drives, Phala’s 15 hr drives to Boston and Anthony’s six-hour round trip to West Virginia, there’s Payton, the miracle baby, whose joy in life is beaming from her face.

“Right now, she is doing fine. She is a wonderful baby — always smiling.” Anthony reports.

The McCormicks have started a GoFundMe account for Payton’s medical and travel bills, and are still hoping a charitable organization will help them in their plight with a reliable vehicle for all those trips to Boston. As Payton grows up, she should have daily reminders of what it means to give your all for Tennessee today — not just from the famous players who did just that, but from her family as well.