On Monday, October 27, 2025, 14-year-old Madison was admitted to Children’s Hospital to begin a long, carefully planned scoliosis treatment process. She had a severe S-curve in her spine and was scheduled to have a Halo Traction System surgically attached to her skull. Over the next six weeks, weights would be used to gently straighten her spine so her two upcoming spinal fusion surgeries would be less invasive and less dangerous.

The halo surgery took place Monday morning.

Then everything changed.

After surgery, Madison was not herself. She wanted to lie flat, stared at the ceiling or walls, and wasn’t joking or laughing the way she always did. Tara (her mom) was extremely concerned, but the medical team reassured them that sometimes the first week is the hardest, and improvement would show by week two.

Last night, Madison spiked a fever of 102°. Labs came back abnormal.

And then every mother’s worst nightmare happened.

This morning, November 1, 2025, Tara received the call no parent should ever receive: Madison had lost her pulse. By the time Tara reached the hospital, they told her they had worked to save Madison for 55 minutes — and she had to be pronounced dead at 5:12 AM.

Madison was only 14.

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Tara is a hardworking mother of multiple children. She works hard, homeschools, shows up for her friends, and still somehow always finds a way to make others laugh even when she is exhausted. Right now she is dealing with a shoulder injury as well.

She and her husband Jeremy have been doing the best they can while trying to keep up with the rising cost of everything — and this devastating loss comes just months after Tara’s mother died from cancer this summer.

This family is shattered.

And now on top of unimaginable grief — Tara has to cover the cost of a funeral for her child.

No parent should have to bury their child, and absolutely no parent should have to worry about how to pay for it.

We are raising funds to help cover:

* Funeral and burial expenses for Madison

* Lost income while Tara has to take time off work to grieve

* Any immediate needs the family faces during this painful time

Anything you can give — any amount — will genuinely make a difference.

If you are unable to donate, please share this link.

Madison was loved. Her life mattered. And this family needs support more than ever.

Thank you for helping hold this family up through the darkest moment of their lives.