[Pictures of the Girls (Top: Sydnie & Olyvia on Porch Swing at Granny and Shaws; 2nd Pic: Collage of Sydnie; 3rd Pic: Collage of Olyvia; Last Pic: Collage of both Girls]

Hi ...
My name is Katie and I am Sydnie and Olyvia's Mom. Originally, this Campaign was started by a good friend of mine, Laci Conrad - however, seeing as how there have been so many changes with regard to BOTH of my Daughter's HEALTH, I felt it only right to come here and do an update of this Campaign. I felt that everyone who has already donated along with any new donors, should know all that has transpired these past, very busy months. I still want to focus on Sydnie and her Surgeries, but to also allow you all into our world and to share an intimate view from the "inside". I will be leaving Sydnie's initial information untouched but will add and continue on after that. Thanks -- 

Sydnie Ember was a little miracle, born on April 28, 2010, 5+ weeks early and she survived a very traumatic birth via emergency c-section.  Her Mom, Katie (my good friend) had a high risk pregnancy yet everything looked positive even a week before the of labor. 

During labor complications (a torn placenta, Katie going in and out of consciousness and suffering from seizures while all while Syd was in-utero through all of this), Sydnie lost oxygen and has sustained life-impacting illnesses/diagnoses. Sydnie has been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety/OCD, physical developmental delays and other impairments.  Sydnie has severe vision conditions and has JUST RECENTLY been diagnosed, after severe problems starting at birth, with BILATERAL OPTIC NERVE HYPOPLASIA. This diagnosis comes after years of suffering from Congenital Nystagmus in which the eye (in Sydnie's case, became both eyes) makes repetitive, uncontrolled movements causing loss of focus and sight; Congenital Ptosis/Amblyopia (the upped eyelid falls to a position that covers the pupil blocking vision in that eye). {Amblyopia is the medical term used when the vision in one of the eyes is reduced because the eye and the brain are not working together.}
Sydnie also suffers from Congenital Strabismus (a condition in which the eyes do not point in the same direction.) When an eye is misaligned, the brain receives two different images.  Young children learn to ignore distorted messages from a misaligned eye which affects everything they learn from birth until this condition is corrected. Sydnie's Strabismus still is not corrected but they are working on this with frequently changing corrective lenses, and surgery to tighten the muscles in the back of the eye. I have seen Sydnie's eyes and can tell you that hers quickly move from side to side and from how the doctors explain it, as a result of her one eye moving like this, "both eyes are unable to hold steady on objects being viewed".  Sydnie has and continues to tilt her head or position her head in a way that she can try and utilize the "still" eye.  From the time Sydnie was born, up to a couple of years ago, has had to wear a "patch" over the good eye, to try and force the opposite eye to strengthen as she grew because the surgeons would not perform surgery on young children.  Katie did that with Sydnie until the little one started realizing that she could rip them off and after that, they tried special eye drops once a day in the morning and unfortunately, that didn't work for long with little Syd (and today - we now know why with more diagnosis that have been confirmed, I'll explain below). Now, with her current diagnosis of *BILATERAL OPTIC NERVE HYPOPLASIA with Strabismus and Nystagmus*, she still has upcoming surgeries, still has to almost forceably wear a patch on one eye and glasses, and still deals with more serious blindness than her Parents / Family were ever made aware of.

Katie and her husband have been to many medical appointments with surgeons and the end result after 1 year of special corrective lenses and covering Syd's LEFT eye when she would allow, after being seen again this past Tuesday June 27th, 2017 is that Syndie is STILL IN NEED of several surgeries. Sydnie's IN TOWN Ophthalmologist will be performing 1 of 2 Surgeries where he will partially / do his best to lift and realign her LEFT eye that is pointing downward. She will need more Surgeries through the years as she grows to keep realigning that eye. She will also need more than 1 Surgery starting either late this year or early next year to try and correct the movement in both eyes. She will STILL also need the Surgery that will lift her LEFT eyelid up and also tighten the lower lid moving that down so that she can gain more vision from that eye. Katie has utilized all funds to date (07/05/2017) on Pre-op and Additional Visits with the Surgeon in Missoula, MT as their Insurance did not / would not cover which were the "visits" themselves for a "Surgery" not covered by insurance as well as the Surgeon / Facility itself and the little that remained is being held with her Ophthalmologist for Copays for all visits, imaging, and Copay for that one Surgery. The Surgery for her eyelids need to be performed in SPOKANE, WA which is 3+ hours away and will require at least 3 overnight stays at the time of the Surgery and both Surgeries are being scheduled at this time and we will know more shortly. November of 2015 waiting to be paid and current bills coming in, Sydnie's Mom and Dad can't see the light out of this and unless they pay these doctors and therapists, they will lose their services leaving Sydnie without further treatment. They need our help. Just knowing the Gas alone it is costing and the amount that Katie has little Sydnie at one Specialist or another, one test or a therapy Appointment, is daunting to think about. Katie prays hard, and she prays every day more than once. Being in Montana has helped bring Sydnie better Medical Care than she's had in the past, and it's given Katie a boost in her hope that they can get Sydnie to a point where someday, she could attend a normal school, but she has been told as recent as last week that, "it will be a while before they can prepare Sydnie for a normal School, and even then, she will need assistance from The School of the Deaf and the Blind" to be with her in classes.  For the next two years at least, Katie will have to have Sydnie in Special Classes.

The reason I felt the need to create this account for Katie, her family and her baby girl is that, their efforts alone aren't enough to cover the enormous costs for Sydnie's therapies, including her Vision/Eye Surgeries, yet they need to get their little one the care she needs. As it stands right now, Sydnie WITH her corrective lenses, remains legally blind and still can't see.  She has a "Formal Diagnosis" now of *BILATERAL OPTIC NERVE HYPOPLASIA* and this will not get any better. And without Surgeries and corrective lenses/patching every 3 months, can get worse. Sydnie can't see more that 6 feet in front of her face. Add Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and more to that, then probably Cerebral Palsy ... ?  Just ponder the interventions needed for this and the cost. I cannot imagine one of my children not being able to get the medical care they need. 

If there's any way that you can assist, please find it in your hearts and remember, anything helps. I am just one friend out of many that will be playing a big role in trying to spread this and help do what we can for little Syd and our friend, Katie. I have to admire Katie's strength through this. This isn't easy. All the appointmentments, procedures, diagnosises, waiting on diagnosises, setting up therapies, and just dealing day-to-day with what she is, knowing this is her baby Girl going through this all, most of us couldn't handle walking in her shoes. If we can take some of these bills, some of these burdens - we can help tremendously.

This is the first and only time that Katie has actually been the one in desperate need and she HATES being in this position. If you can pass this message along, share it with friends and family, it would mean so much to us, and everything to Katie and this precious little girl.

Love,

Laci (one of Katie's close Friends, along with the others that will be helping to "Share" this {Jennifer, Brenda, Valerie, Tina, Mel, Joey, Brian, Kimmie, Julie, Rachel, Abbie, Kendra, etc.,} and do what we can to get this Campaign the exposure and urgent attention it so desperately needs).