Brother Needs A Helping Hand

Meet my niece, Callie. She is the strongest 12 year old I know. Callie is kind, sweet and loves to laugh. Callie is also in the hospital, fighting hard against Moyamoya.

Callie had a stroke on July 20th and experienced a 2nd stroke shortly after. Children's Hospital of San Antonio performed tons of test and she has been diagnosed with Moyamoya. She is now at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston preparing for a second surgery.
 
Moyamoya is a rare disease. It's caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain. The narrowing of arteries cause the brain to develop tiny blood vessels to help compensate the needed blood flow carrying oxygen. Moyamoya is incurable but can improve with treatment. The 1st treatment tried on Callie was using blood thinners but that was unsuccessful.  The 2nd treatment was brain surgery. 

The 1st brain surgery performed last week, on her left side, was successful. The Team will execute the same surgical plan for the right side of her brain. My brother described the surgeries as drilling tiny holes in her brain membrane by the neurologist to allow for alternate blood flow. Things are looking brighter everyday. 

Callie has started some therapy and will need a lot more . Both occupational and physical therapy session have begun at the hospital. These types of  therapy and lots of Drs. appointments will follow her hospital release. She'll have to learn a lot of things over again and build strength to do so. My hope is that we can bring Callie home with the accommodation needed for her new normal. 

My brother is a single parent to three kiddos, He does an amazing job, providing and taking care for two girls, including Callie, and a very active 10 year old boy. Unfortunately, my brother does not have job benefits that keep income coming into his household. He has used all/any vacation hours he had, he has no FMLA benefits and no 401K to withdrawal from to help offset the loss of income he is experiencing while caring for Callie.  He truly needs helping hands.  

Please consider making a donation to help my brother.  Your donation can help cover monthly utilities, rent, groceries, room/house accommodations for Callie's return home, babysitting expenses for my niece and nephew while my brother is at the hospital, travel, and back to school needs. There is no donation to small and everything is appreciated.

Please keep Callie, my brother, her siblings and my family in your prayers. 

Best wishes, 
Lucinda