Help pay Amélie’s medical & related expenses

Hi. My name is Vicki Winston, and I'm reaching out to ask for your support to help my niece and her husband, Melissa and Alex Tejada, pay for mounting emergency medical and related expenses as their 4-year-old daughter Amélie recovers from two brain surgeries to remove a tumor and subsequently implant a permanent shunt.

On the evening of Sunday, November 5th, Amélie and Melissa were flown from Medford, Oregon, to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University following an emergency room visit where a CT scan revealed a sizable brain tumor. At Stanford, a drain was placed into her head to alleviate the pressure caused by cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) build-up in her brain. Afterward, Amélie endured a seven-hour surgery to remove the tumor, which had lodged itself between her cerebellum and brain stem. While the surgery was successful and Amélie was seemingly able to drain her CSF normally, she did lose the ability to eat, speak, and walk. Two weeks later, after making many strides in her rehabilitation, Amélie needed a second surgery to implant a permanent shunt that now assists with her ability to drain CSF.

Amélie, Melissa, and Alex are now focusing on the long road of rehabilitation ahead. My heart swells with pride and love as I see how committed Alex and Melissa have been, remaining by Amelie's side day and night since November 5th, both taking leave from work. While Stanford has provided fantastic care, it does not have the in-patient pediatric rehabilitation facility needed to support Amelie's next phase of recovery, which some providers suggest may last many weeks/months. They await acceptance into a Bay Area Children's Hospital, where they hope to continue their medical journey. While insured, they are still facing enormous costs for her care, transport, and loss of income during her care.

Please help this bright, funny, charismatic girl regain her life while helping her family with the extraordinary and unexpected expenses.