Ashley Garris and Family

My son, Liam, just started kindergarten at St. Clement of Rome School. He has a classmate named Adley whose family is really suffering, and I hope to find a number of people who want to help. Adley's mother, Ashley, is having major complications of a brain condition called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (also called pseudotumor cerebri). Ashley and her husband, Jason, are struggling to keep afloat taking care of their two young girls. Adley is in kindergarten and her sister, Aspen, is in pre-k. Jason works shift work at the Valero plant in Norco to pay the bills, and they have little help with the girls because Ashley's mother is deceased and Jason's family lives out of town. Although Ashley is clearly devoted to her kids above all else it is difficult to care for their needs everyday with constant headaches, heavy medication to prevent seizures, paralysis on the right side of her body, and partial loss of vision. Ashley has suffered with this condition for 18 years, but things have gone from bad to worse over the past few months. On May 30th, she had a VP Shunt placed to drain fluid from around her brain and relieve the vice-like pressure inside her cranium. All went textbook with the procedure, and she was doing great until August 13th. On that day she developed stroke-like symptoms and was rushed to Tulane hospital unresponsive. She had a grand mal seizure while in the CT scanner, and was admitted for 3 days to the neurology service. The shunt is working, but her brain is now trying to reject the shunt. This has caused inflammation resulting in cerebral edema. She was discharged after 3 days, but then readmitted within the week due to her symptoms worsening. She is on high dose steroids to reduce the swelling, antibiotics, anti seizure meds, and she has a right sided paralysis. She still has facial drooping, but her vision is returning in her right eye. She is unable to drive now or be alone or take care of her 2 girls. Jason's mother flew into town to help but had to leave this past Wednesday. Some families from the kindergarten class are helping with meals, but it's obvious their family is under a lot of strain with a heavy burden for a long time. Let's help take a little weight off.