We never imagined we would be writing something like this.

On Monday of the week of Christmas, our sweet daughter Zazie suddenly lost movement in her arms and legs and was rushed to the hospital. What should have been a joyful week leading up to Christmas and her 7th birthday on December 30th quickly became the most frightening and overwhelming time of our lives.

After she hit her head on her bed, what seemed like a minor incident quickly turned into a life-threatening medical emergency. Because the area of her spinal cord that was affected also impacts breathing, Zazie required respiratory support from EMTs in the ambulance as she was transported to the hospital. In those terrifying moments, our world stood still.

After extensive testing, doctors determined that Zazie had suffered a spinal cord stroke, a condition that is extremely rare in children. They also discovered that Zazie’s spinal cord anatomy is different, which likely made her more vulnerable and contributed to the severity of what happened. Learning this was devastating, but it also helped explain why such a rare and serious injury occurred.

Zazie spent over two weeks at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, where an incredible team worked around the clock to stabilize her and provide critical care. This week, she was transferred to Kennedy Krieger Institute for inpatient rehabilitation, one of the nation’s leading pediatric rehab hospitals, to begin intensive therapy as she works to regain strength, movement, and independence.

Zazie’s journey is just beginning. We have no clear timeline and no way of knowing what the road ahead will require. Between prolonged hospitalization, specialized rehabilitation, therapy, medical equipment, travel, time away from work, and ongoing care, the financial impact is already significant and will continue to grow.

We are sharing this with humility and faith, asking for support to help ease the financial burden so we can focus fully on being present for Zazie and supporting her recovery.

Every donation, prayer, and share means more to us than we can express. Thank you for standing with our family, for loving our daughter, and for believing with us in her healing and restoration.

With love and gratitude,

Zazie’s Mom & Dad