Help Parker

Parker is the sweetest little boy dealing with a huge medical issue. His life is in the hands of doctors who will perform a surgery that will allow him to live without fear of brain injury.

While giving Parker a bath, his mother noticed a lump on the top of his head. Not remembering him falling, she immediately took Parker to his pediatrician who realized something was very wrong.

Parker was referred to a specialist in craniotomy. He ordered x-rays, a CT scan and emergency appointments with specialists in ophthalmology, audiology, craniology and neurology.

In a short amount of time Parker went from a relatively healthy 2 year old, to being diagnosed with Craniosynostosis and needing open cranial surgery.

The bones in Parker’s skull fused too soon leaving no room for his brain to grow, which caused a lump to form on the top of his head. This is creating pressure on Parker’s brain. Left untreated this could lead to serious complications including seizures, blindness and brain damage. Luckily Parker’s mother took action before this happened.

To prevent impending risk, surgery is required to correct Parker’s skull and allow his brain to develop and grow normally.

During surgery an incision will be made from ear to ear over the top of Parker’s head. Large pieces of skull will be removed, reshaped and then fastened together using plates and screws to reconstruct a new skull, before being placed back over the top of Parker’s brain. Surgery takes 3 to 7 hours, and many children need a blood transfusion during surgery to replace the blood that is lost.

Parker’s mom and dad have a total of 4 children all under the age of four. Mom and dad will be taking turns living at the hospital post surgery and taking care of their other 3 children at home, the youngest of which is 9 months old.

If all goes well, Parker will then be sent home to be with his family for a 6-8 week recovery period. As you can imagine, this is a terrifying ordeal. And unfortunately this is not the first time Parker and his family have experienced medical emergencies surrounding the health of their children.

When Parker’s mother was 19 weeks pregnant with him and his twin brother, the couple were told to go home and prepare to lose their boys. Not accepting that fate, Parker’s mom began desperately researching for a miracle. She found published studies of a surgery that had the potential to save her sons’ lives, but it was was not typically done for twin pregnancies. Not willing to take no for an answer the couple met with six doctors over a 2 day span, not stopping until they found one willing to perform the surgery.

Because this surgery required months of strict bed rest for Parker’s mom, this surgery forced both young parents to take time off of work. Parker’s father had to care for his pregnant wife and their one year old daughter at the time, as Parker’s mom lay in bed thankful for each day that passed, making the possibility of bringing their baby boys home closer to a reality. Thankfully the twins were born…

Only they arrived at the start of the pandemic!

After 5 months of being unable to work due to the surgical interventions that saved the boys’ lives, Parker’s parents were now not allowed to return to work due to Covid restrictions.

Meanwhile, Parker, had to have surgery in the months following his birth for something unrelated to his diagnosis of Craniosynostosis. He made it through like a champ!

Without their typical income due to dealing with medical crises and pandemic restrictions, this family managed to support themselves by using their savings and doing side jobs to make ends meet. After 10 months they were finally able to get back on track. They put the past behind them and looked towards the future. They even had their fourth child!

But now, only 18 months after being able to return to work, Parker and his family are once again in a life defining situation when both of Parker’s parents must be home to ensure the success and recovery of the surgery that will secure Parker a healthy future.

This young family has gone through a great deal of hardships in a short amount of time. While managing to get through what life has thrown at them. They are the definition of resilience, while also being an example of what it means to be selfless.

In the past this young couple has organized hometown park clean ups and numerous fundraisers for improvements to the park in their own community. After their success they were called on to host and help organize a fundraiser for a child in need. Without hesitation they acted to help. They also took it upon themselves to collect home goods, clothes, furniture and monetary donations after hearing that a former coworker’s home had burned down. After collecting donations, they washed, stored and personally delivered truck loads of items to the doorstep of that coworker’s new home.

It’s time for this family to receive the same kindnesses they have shown to others time and again. Parker and his family need our help to cover any expenses, transportation cost, post surgery care, co-pays. deductibles, other financial stresses and scar revision surgery (that is not covered by insurance) to allow them to focus on Parker’s recovery. Any money raised over their needs will be donated to another family struck with his sam diagnosis.

Your support will make a powerful difference in this family’s life. Donations can be made by following the instructions on this page. Thank you for your generous support, your prayers, and your hopeful thoughts as this young family looks towards a healthy future for Parker.