Emery was born at 39 weeks and was very sick from the start. She was born anemic and pale and lost most of the blood in her body. Hours after birth we were told she had suffered a traumatic brain injury from a fetal/ maternal hemorrhage. As a result from this injury she was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Spastic quadriplegia is a cerebral palsy that makes it difficult to control movements in the arms and legs. This spasticity makes moving for Emery difficult her body stiffens/ tightens which causes pain, sleepless nights and fatigues her easily.

While we know there is no cure for cerebral palsy, there are treatments that can improve Emery's quality of life. We have researched (SDR) Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy for over two years and finally got the call that Emery is a great candidate for the surgery at the St. Louis Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. SDR is performed by Dr. Park who has done over 4,000 SDR surgeries to date. The surgery corrects muscle spasticity by cutting the nerve rootlets in the spinal cord that are sending abnormal signals to the muscles. Dr. Park believes that with the SDR, Tendon Lengthening and intensive therapies Emery will eventually be able to walk with canes and no more pain. She will have better posture and control of her body. This surgery will  give her the opportunity to do things that she has always wanted to. 

Unfortunately our insurance does not cover out of state surgeries and we will have to pay for everything out of pocket. At this time we have the opportunity to have the surgery done before the end of the year....but with the cost of the two surgeries and the intensive therapies we are asking for all the help we can get. We are extremely grateful and appreciative for any help to make Emery's dream of becoming a more independent 7 year old come true. Please share and spread the word! 

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