Hello Everyone!

This is my amazing daughter, Cove Phillips. She is a seven-year-old little girl, who has quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. Over the years she has defied what doctors have said she was capable of and has made so much progress! Through various therapies, surgeries, school and hard work on her part, she has learned--and is continually learning!--how to move her body with intention, to weight bear (support her body), to coordinate her legs to take steps, to sit unassisted, to swallow foods and take sips of water, to communicate through eye gaze technological devices and to drive power wheelchairs. Cove is learning she has a voice and that she can create sounds. She is truly learning how to unlock her body through all these opportunities, and her confidence is soaring!

She is a sign and a wonder. As a mother I am so proud of her, and so are her friends, teachers, therapists and our family. We are blown away by what God has done in her life, and we're totally in awe of the community's support surrounding our family the past seven years. So many miracles! TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY, and we’re excited to invite you all in to help us in Cove’s continued journey to wholeness this Fall.

We are launching this 2-month Go Fund Me campaign starting on Tuesday, August 24 (Cove’s 7th Birthday!) until Sunday, October 24th to raise $28,000 to cover the cost of several of Cove’s surgeries, therapies and physical needs. We'd be honored if you take a moment and read through the items below to learn more about Cove’s journey to wholeness and what your Go Fund Me donations are going toward:

1. Anat Baniel Method (ABM) of NeuroMovement Therapy in Asheville, NC for 6 months - $11,400

Cove has been receiving the Anat Baniel Method of NeuroMovement Therapy for about three years now and has had tremendous success with it. This therapy is founded in neuroscience and the biodynamics of the body and brain’s ability to change. Cove’s traumatic birth left her with brain damage and scarring that is over her motor cortex and cerebellum; these areas regulate voluntary motor function, balance, movement and communication between both sides of the brain. ABM therapy builds connections and creates new neuropathways in Cove's brain so she can learn her body and have a better internal perception of herself; this gives her more freedom of movement and awareness. We have seen a calmer system, improvement in swallowing, the ability for her to self-regulate, focus, grasp and release with her hands, roll to her stomach, healthier lung function, better sleeping patterns, reduction in her spasticity, her movements becoming easier and more clear, among other things. Isn't that amazing!?

This has been a vital part of Cove’s development, and our goal is for her to receive two intensive therapies per month for the next six months. We travel to Asheville, NC over the span of a long weekend to complete these therapies, so our expenses here include Airbnb costs, meals, and gas for the roadtrip.

2. Selective Percutaneous Myofascial Lengthening Surgery (SPML) - $13,950

In January 2021, Cove had Selective Percutaneous Myofascial Lengthening surgery. In short, this procedure allows for the spasticity in Cove's muscles to be released, and therefore lengthens her muscles. It’s done through small micro-incisions in the spastic muscle groups; for Cove this is her hamstrings, calves, heel chords, and hip adductors. It gives immediate release to those muscles that are, for the most part, always contracted; it has given her the ability to move more freely, be in less pain and have intentional movement. Now Cove has a greater chance to gain the ability to sit, walk and use her arms and legs more intentionally, especially when combined with ABM Therapy. This $13,950 covers the remainder of her hospital/surgery expenses from January. Alleviating the burden of these monthly hospital bills from our budget will be an enormous blessing to our family, as it is an incredibly expensive procedure that we are paying for out-of-pocket.

3. We Carry Kevan (WCK) Backpack -$450

The We Carry Kevan Backpack is an awesome piece of equipment that mobilizes individuals with disabilities by redefining accessibility as a cooperative effort. The WCK Pack is a carrier device specially designed for individuals with disabilities to go where wheelchairs cannot, with the help of friends and family. It’s essentially a type of pack that would allow Cove’s family to carry her through adulthood. Cove has an incredible spirit for adventure and always wants to go and see and do. If you know her you know she’s as wild as she is sweet! We want to be able to provide her with any means we can to be able to explore the world if we’re hiking at a National Park, going on a beach vacation or traveling the globe!

Check out the website for pictures, testimonies and more info:

https://www.wecarrykevan.com

4. Merry Muscles Therapeutic Exerciser -$1,200

Merry Muscles Therapeutic Exerciser is designed by an occupational therapist to enhance muscular development, balance and coordination in children who have cerebral palsy. This piece of equipment will allow Cove to use her legs in a functional way and will be particularly good for Cove’s hips. The exerciser can help train Cove’s brain and body to perform an action by not only having skeletal input, but also muscle and joint strengthening. The exerciser can grow with Cove through adulthood, so she can use it for many years to come. With tax, shipping and handling the cost of the youth exerciser is $1,200.

Click here to visit their website and see a video of a child using the youth sized exerciser: https://merrymuscles.com/youth-size-merry-muscles-therapeutic-exerciser/

Our long-term goals and hopes for Cove as she gets older and bigger is cultivating her independence by helping her learn how to sit, walk and assist in self-care tasks by herself. The combination of SPML surgery, ABM therapy and these pieces of equipment working together gives Cove a complemented, holistic treatment to yield the best quality of life for her in childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Please help us meet our goal of $28,000 by October 24th by sharing this Go Fund Me page with your friends and family through social media using the hashtag #covesjourney. You can find us on Instagram (@covesjourney) and on Cove's Facebook Page (Cove Phillips).

It means the world to us that you’re taking time to find out more about Cove and are following along in her miraculous story. And thank you for supporting us financially and through prayer. We feel so blessed by your love and generosity! Please help Cove by giving whatever you can; even something small can make a huge difference to our family. Truly, we are so grateful!

Love,

Jessie Phillips (Cove’s Mom) & Family

Sophia, NC

24 August 2021