Sweet Sadie Pie

Over the past five weeks our sweet niece Sadie Spoonts (age 8) and daughter of Paige and Rob Spoonts has been struggling with a horrible case of Infectious Mononucleosis. Due to the increasing severity of her symptoms, involvement of her major organs, and damage to her muscles she was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Grand Strand Regional Hospital in Myrtle Beach. Over the past several days it has become clear that this little angel was dealing with much more than just Mono. She has just been diagnosed with an extremely rare autoimmune disorder called Dermatomyositis (DM). The diagnosis is a shock to her parents and family and they are in the process of learning everything they can about this horrendous disease. Dermatomyositis is an extremely rare connective-tissue disease that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin. While DM most frequently affects the skin and muscles, it is a systemic disorder that may also affect the joints, the esophagus, the lungs, and the heart. In the United States, the incidence of DM is estimated at 3 cases per million people. Sadie has progressed to the point that she is unable to walk independently or stand for any length of time. She is experiencing tremendous pain and swelling which has been difficult to control. This disease is treatable but there is no cure, so this will mean a lifetime struggle for our sweet girl. Sadie has a long road ahead of her and will begin treatment starting in the next couple of days. Due to the rarity of this disease, Sadie will need to be treated and monitored by a pediatric specialist in Charleston, South Carolina, a three hour drive from her home. This will mean unexpected travel, lodging expenses, and child care for Sadie's three other siblings, and additional medical bills not covered by insurance for this family. We humbly ask you to consider donating to this cause. Sadie and her family need all the love and support we can offer them right now.  We all thank you ❤️