Ashlynn's Transverse Myelitis Recovery
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Ashlynn is a beautiful, energetic, vibrant 11 year old with a heart of gold. She loves to dance, she loves to sing, and she loves to go camping with her family.
pic: Spring Break 2014 - 3 weeks before diagnosis
Tuesday, May 5th will be 4 weeks, and Thursday, May 8th will mark One Month officially since she was admitted to Texas Children's Hospital.
On April 8th, Ashlynn was admitted to Texas Children's Hospital and was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. It is a rare inflammatory disease causing injury to the spinal cord with varying degrees of weakness, sensory alterations, and autonomic dysfunction (the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary activity, such as the heart, breathing, the digestive system, and reflexes).
Of the time she's been there, most of it has been spent between the Intensive Care Unit and the Progressive Care Unit. She's battled with not only the TM issues causing paralysis to the majority of her body, but also pneumonia like symptoms - most likely brought on by TM - that were the cause of moving to ICU and being on a respirator for a week unable to breathe on her own effectively enough to supply her body with enough oxygen to survive.
pic: ICU
After leaving the ICU, she remained on Oxygen for a week, both forced flow and ipap (constant force flow) to maintain her levels. After being weened off of ipap, she was finally removed from Oxygen at the end of this past week and has been able to maintain her O2 levels on her own so successfully she was removed from O2 monitoring!
pic: Getting ready to leave ICU!
She's working hard on her recovering, and since being released from ICU and PCU has been able to receive many visitors, including her big brother!
pic: Ashlynn and her brother Triston hanging out in the Garden area at TCH
pic: Ashlynn and her Mamma having some outside in the sunshine time!
She is now residing in the in-patient PT facilities to help her regain her strength and learn how to walk again, as well as learn to manage the other issues that TM has caused within her body.
video: Smash coming down THREE(!) flights of stairs for PT 5/3/14!!
pic: Spring Break 2014 - 3 weeks before diagnosis
Tuesday, May 5th will be 4 weeks, and Thursday, May 8th will mark One Month officially since she was admitted to Texas Children's Hospital.
On April 8th, Ashlynn was admitted to Texas Children's Hospital and was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. It is a rare inflammatory disease causing injury to the spinal cord with varying degrees of weakness, sensory alterations, and autonomic dysfunction (the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary activity, such as the heart, breathing, the digestive system, and reflexes).
Of the time she's been there, most of it has been spent between the Intensive Care Unit and the Progressive Care Unit. She's battled with not only the TM issues causing paralysis to the majority of her body, but also pneumonia like symptoms - most likely brought on by TM - that were the cause of moving to ICU and being on a respirator for a week unable to breathe on her own effectively enough to supply her body with enough oxygen to survive.
pic: ICU
After leaving the ICU, she remained on Oxygen for a week, both forced flow and ipap (constant force flow) to maintain her levels. After being weened off of ipap, she was finally removed from Oxygen at the end of this past week and has been able to maintain her O2 levels on her own so successfully she was removed from O2 monitoring!
pic: Getting ready to leave ICU!
She's working hard on her recovering, and since being released from ICU and PCU has been able to receive many visitors, including her big brother!
pic: Ashlynn and her brother Triston hanging out in the Garden area at TCH
pic: Ashlynn and her Mamma having some outside in the sunshine time!
She is now residing in the in-patient PT facilities to help her regain her strength and learn how to walk again, as well as learn to manage the other issues that TM has caused within her body.
video: Smash coming down THREE(!) flights of stairs for PT 5/3/14!!
As many know, medical bills pile up very quickly when it comes to hospital stays. She's been in nearly 4 weeks now, most of that between ICU and PCU, and is currently in inpatient therapy for a minimum of another week.
We would like to raise funds to help cover her medical expenses, as well as help the Spencer's with day to day costs. Her parents have both taken leave of absences from work and will not be receiving their full pay for some time.
Please help us! Any and all amounts are greatly appreciated and needed! For those not wishing to donate online, we will have a physical address to send checks, money orders, or cashier's checks to!
There will be two fundraiser benefits - SMASHFEST Austin - May 11, 2014 and SMASHFEST Houston June 21, 2014 - please go to http://www.hugsforsmash.org/ for more information, or to volunteer your time or items for the benefit! (Event Flyer pictured below!)
There are also both a Facebook group and a Facebook like page dedicated to Ashlynn, please like Hugs for Smash Like Page and join Hugs for Smash Group Page and send her some love! She loves jokes and pictures of animals (especially funny ones!)
Thank you in advance for helping this amazing family! xoxoxo
Below is an update from her Mamma on 5/3/14:
UPDATE: DAY 25- My husband and I have been feeling and knowing that we are going to get released soon...Well, there was words said that there is a possibility we have just ONE more week left in the hospital... (next Friday). All I know is we have to get our daughter out of here! Today, I noticed her lil light was dimmer. Upon asking her what was really going on, she replied that she is just so desperate to get out of the hospital. We need your help again! YOU see her as Smash! All of us have a version of her that we remember when she walked into our lives. A very select few of us remember the day she was born and holding her so small. Some of you remember our curly headed lil princess puddin thighs. Some of you remember when our lil scary Smash Fairy joined us at the land. Some of you remember her from when we lost a family member. Some of you don't even know our beautiful, brave, determined daughter personally. The thing you all have in common is you all SEE her for who and everything SHE is NOW; A confidant, sassy, determined, mismatched color wearing, glitter loving, knee high converse sporting, smart, respectful tween with an old soul. We are thankful, deep down to the very essence that makes us Spencer's, for the heartfelt love and genuine support you share towards our daughter.
Please join us again in harmonic synergy and concentrate your energy efforts towards bringing our girl home swiftly and for continued endurance and strength for my family. Together, we ARE changing this world! xo much luv xo
pic: Holding hands in ICU
pic: SmashFest Poster
We would like to raise funds to help cover her medical expenses, as well as help the Spencer's with day to day costs. Her parents have both taken leave of absences from work and will not be receiving their full pay for some time.
Please help us! Any and all amounts are greatly appreciated and needed! For those not wishing to donate online, we will have a physical address to send checks, money orders, or cashier's checks to!
There will be two fundraiser benefits - SMASHFEST Austin - May 11, 2014 and SMASHFEST Houston June 21, 2014 - please go to http://www.hugsforsmash.org/ for more information, or to volunteer your time or items for the benefit! (Event Flyer pictured below!)
There are also both a Facebook group and a Facebook like page dedicated to Ashlynn, please like Hugs for Smash Like Page and join Hugs for Smash Group Page and send her some love! She loves jokes and pictures of animals (especially funny ones!)
Thank you in advance for helping this amazing family! xoxoxo
Below is an update from her Mamma on 5/3/14:
UPDATE: DAY 25- My husband and I have been feeling and knowing that we are going to get released soon...Well, there was words said that there is a possibility we have just ONE more week left in the hospital... (next Friday). All I know is we have to get our daughter out of here! Today, I noticed her lil light was dimmer. Upon asking her what was really going on, she replied that she is just so desperate to get out of the hospital. We need your help again! YOU see her as Smash! All of us have a version of her that we remember when she walked into our lives. A very select few of us remember the day she was born and holding her so small. Some of you remember our curly headed lil princess puddin thighs. Some of you remember when our lil scary Smash Fairy joined us at the land. Some of you remember her from when we lost a family member. Some of you don't even know our beautiful, brave, determined daughter personally. The thing you all have in common is you all SEE her for who and everything SHE is NOW; A confidant, sassy, determined, mismatched color wearing, glitter loving, knee high converse sporting, smart, respectful tween with an old soul. We are thankful, deep down to the very essence that makes us Spencer's, for the heartfelt love and genuine support you share towards our daughter.
Please join us again in harmonic synergy and concentrate your energy efforts towards bringing our girl home swiftly and for continued endurance and strength for my family. Together, we ARE changing this world! xo much luv xo
pic: Holding hands in ICU
pic: SmashFest Poster
Organizer
Janice Jaela Arnett Spencer
Organizer
Hidden Echo, TX
