Thanks for visiting our GoFundMe site for Annabella. My name is Michelle Buzzard, Annabella is my granddaughter. She was born to my daughter, Heather and her husband, Bryant in August, 2015.
Since shortly after her birth, Annabella has struggled almost continuously with lung congestion, breathing issues, low oxygen levels, etc. In mid-November Annabella was coughing, congested and having difficulty breathing. Her pediatrician told Heather it was “just a cold”.
After nearly 2 weeks with no improvement, Heather took Annabella to Children’s Mercy Urgent Care where she was admitted for 3 days of testing. This time the diagnosis was a virus that would have to run its course. However, over the next several days, she returned to the Respiratory Outpatient Clinic for multiple oxygen level checks and deep suctioning treatments to clear out the mucus.
In mid-December she was admitted into Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City with severe lung inflammation and extremely low oxygen levels. The doctors have been baffled about what is causing the chronic lung issues. They have performed a CT scan, multiple chest x-rays, a cardio screening, upper GI, virus panel and multiple blood tests, all were inconclusive. They tested her twice for Cystic Fibrosis. Thankfully those tests were negative, but they have still not ruled out other lung diseases.
During the week of Christmas, the medical team began to suspect that Annabella was suffering from a condition that allowed at least a portion of her nourishment to pass into her lungs (aspiration) rather than pass through to her stomach. The suspicion was that the aspirated food was contaminating her lungs and causing chronic lung inflammation.
On December 29th they performed a swallowing test that confirmed that she is aspirating some of her food when fed orally. The hospital inserted a feeding tube which allows Annabella to receive nourishment directly to her stomach, insuring no additional contamination of her lungs.
The intent is to leave the feeding tube in place long enough to allow her lungs to heal. After the lungs have improved significantly, the Pulmonary team will then evaluate her to determine if she has a lung disorder a swallowing issue or both.
The medical team has trained Heather, Bryant and other family members to be able to monitor and administer oxygen. The family has also learned how to feed Annabella via the feeding tube and Annabella was finally allowed to go home while her lungs recuperate.
Heather was with Annabella almost continuously for the entire stay at Children’s Mercy, including on Christmas Day. Heather and Bryant also have a 3 year old daughter, Brooklyn whose life has been turned upside down as a result of Annabella’s illness. She missed her mother & baby sister very much while the were in the hospital, in spite of the support she received from Daddy Bryant and the rest of our family. Even now that they’re home, Brooklyn is struggling to adjust to all of the changes in her life and the additional demands upon Mommy & Daddy’s time.
The days in the hospital were stressful and emotionally draining for Heather, Bryant and our whole family. We all thought life would be easier once Annabella and Heather were back home, but in reality all of the monitoring, feeding and medical equipment maintenance responsibilities are now on the family’s shoulders. Even with Home Health’s assistance, there are still no medical professionals in house to provide backup or reassurance that things are going smoothly. We have come to the realization that Annabella’s current level of care is a 24/7 challenge.
The doctors are unsure how long the healing process will take. Depending upon the diagnosis, Annabella may need this intensive level of home care for an extended period, meaning that Heather will not be able to go back to work.
We are starting this GoFundMe account because Bryant & Heather are rapidly using up their reserve funds. Heather’s employer has been very supportive, but there’s only so much that any company can do for its people. Heather had taken her maternity leave and had only been back to work for a week or so when Annabella went to the hospital. The extended loss of her income will have a devastating effect on the family. The stress of these financial burdens in conjunction with the stress of the medical issues are more than any family should have to bear.
We are asking for your financial support to give this young family an opportunity to maintain the life they’ve built for their children. We are also asking for your prayers that sweet Annabella will be quickly diagnosed with a manageable problem and she will be able to live the healthy normal life every child deserves.
Thank you for your interest, prayers and support. Any size contribution is of value. We will continue to post updates as Annabella’s circumstances progress. It is our sincere hope that this request for assistance is short lived and that this beautiful family can return to normal in the very near future.