For the love of Gracie

My dear friend’s daughter, sweet Gracie, is fighting for her life again.

This is Gracie’s 3rd time on life support, (intubated and on ventilator) in the past 4 months. It is the 2nd time in the past 2 months that Gracie has had to be life flighted from North Dakota to the Pediatric Intensive Care unit in Minneapolis at Children’s Hospital. This makes Gracie’s 6th hospitalization since just this past August.

Gracie was born with a severe heart and lung condition. She also is paralyzed from her waist down due to a severe spinal cord compression and condition. Because of this, Gracie developed acute Scoliosis which has now collapsed her right lung. As a result sweet Gracie is unable to inflate her lungs properly. Consequently, Gracie has to be hospitalized in the PICU for ventilator support.

It was the hope that Gracie’s little body and lungs would be able to recover again. However, sadly they will not. In order for Gracie to return home now—a tracheotomy has to be placed and a home ventilator used to provide lung support.

An attempt was made in October to surgically correct Gracie’s Scoliosis. However, the surgery had to be abruptly stopped because sweet Gracie coded during positioning for the surgery. Gracie is unable to have the Scoliosis corrected until her lungs and cervical junction can be improved.

Not only has this taken an emotional toll on this family, but also an enormous financial burden on this divided family!!

Dad has exhausted all of his vacation time. He has taken periodic FMLA to help mom, but it is unpaid. Mom is unable to continue to work so that she can remain with Gracie in Minneapolis. Dad is working as many hours as possible and this limits his ability to be with Gracie. He also has to care for Gracie’s little sister, provide emotional support to her and Gracie’s big sister.

This family is living apart and struggling with a battle none of us could ever imagine!

For the Love of Gracie, let’s help this family.

Let’s make sure Gracie, Dennis, Aleja-Laura, Ainsley and Alyssa get the assistance they so need to help them financially survive during this catastrophic time.

If you can provide any financial support, it is greatly appreciated.

Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.