Hi! We are two of Emma’s aunties, Chelsea + Kim, we started this to campaign to support the Guthrie Family during this time to cover any and all medical treatment including surgery, aftercare, and years of physical therapy. We would like to start by sharing Emma’s story from the beginning.

While Melissa was about 6 months pregnant, Emma was found to have swelling in her brain. After some genetic testing, Emma was diagnosed with a rare genetic chromosome condition, called 6p25 microdeletion.

“A deletion from the end of the short arm of chromosome 6 is a genetic condition that occurs when there is a small piece of genetic material (DNA) missing from the end of one of the 46 chromosomes – chromosome 6. The genetic change usually affects development and sometimes health as well. But how much it affects individuals, and the ways in which it affects them, can vary a lot.”

You can read more about this here :

Https://www.rarechromo.org/media/information/Chromosome%20%206/Deletions%20from%206p25%20and%20the%20end%20of%20the%20chromosome%20FTNW.pdf

As you can imagine, this was difficult news for Melissa and Joe to hear, especially as first time parents. Melissa then had regular visits with a specialist to keep an eye on the amount of fluid and swelling in baby Emma’s brain. Melissa and Joe spent months of turmoil and restless nights, worrying about Emma’s safety and health. At the end of pregnancy, they were relived to find it had gone down and was no longer worrisome!

On February 24th, 2021 Joe and Melissa lovingly welcomed their daughter, Emma Sage Guthrie into this world. Their days were filled with feedings, poopy diapers, and all the other normal things that happen to all new parents. And then at Emma’s 4 month checkup, Melissa was informed that her head was measuring to that of what should be an 11 months old head. After MRIs and CT scans, her doctors came to the decision that she would indeed need to have a shunt put in to correct the hydrocephalus and keep from any more possible damage from happening.

Hydrocephalus is when excess cerebral spinal fluid collects in the ventricles of the brain. Her body makes it faster than she can absorb it so she will need a shunt placed so the excess fluid can drain and her body can naturally absorb it.

On Wednesday, August 10, Melissa and Joe scheduled Emma for surgery on Friday. She is behind in her milestones so she will have to have physical therapy as she grows. For the rest of her life she will have to go to yearly visits with her neurologist to keep a sharp eye out for a failed shunt.

Melissa and Joe will be taking time off from their work to care for Emma & they will be needing all the help they can get for the costs of care after surgery on Friday.

With your generosity, you’ll be helping Emma with physical therapy for years to come and her safe, healthy recovery. Thank you kindly for reading + sharing Emma’s story. The Guthrie’s appreciate any and all prayers, love and support.

In addition, we have also set up a Venmo account if you would prefer to donate there.

Venmo: @SupportBabyEmma