Fluffstrong Round 3

#FluffStrong We are now fundraising for Nia’s next major procedure, which has been scheduled for March 15, 2023.Please donate to help us through this time in our lives. Nia (Fluff) is a sassy, energetic 12-year-old girl who loves dancing, yoga, and art. She lives in Augusta, GA with her mom, dad, and little brothers, Ian (10)and Evan (7) Visit Nia's FluffStrong Facebook Page to follow her story.**UPCOMING** March 15, 2023 - invasive and painful lower left jaw tumor will be addressed/removed. The procedure will be done at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA), two hours away from home. After the procedure, she will be in the hospital for several weeks, including the ICU for at least two weeks. Then she will come home to recover over a few more months, with Nia and parents continuing to travel between Atlanta and Augusta for certain therapies and check ups a few times a month, similar to the previous surgery.Financial StrainWe are thankful for help extended in the past as we have used our charitable funds to help cover the following:Meals and day-to-day incidentals (Lodging in Atlanta is being covered by Nia’s grandparents but living away from home temporarily increases normal expenses, especially in the North Druid Hills area of Atlanta where the hospital is located.)Non-medical supplies and comfort items for Nia during recovery (No matter how much we prepare, during each hospital stay we end up purchasing therapeutic and other comfort items for Nia to help her feel better.)Medical bills (which have increased with the past two main procedures due to rising insurance and care costs) - As of March 9, 2023 our family has already racked up more than $2000 in medical bills, not even through the first quarter of the year. If you prefer to reach out to directly, you can contact the family through the main FluffStrong page, linked here: Linktree.com/fluffstrongDonations also accepted here: PayPal- PayPal.me/fluffstrong Cash app: $sidliloquy***Nia’s Story***On March 1, 2018, when Nia was 7 years old, we discovered a large tumor in her maxillary (upper jaw) sinus during a routine dental appointment.After years of awaiting a diagnosis, we learned that she Nia has Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) (more at curehht.org) which has caused a unique and aggressive type of vascular tumor and four accompanying tumors, which have invaded the surrounding bones of her face. Nia has undergone several surgeries to address the remaining tumors removed from her left maxilla (upper jaw) and left mandible (lower jaw). The first large one was in the top right side of her face. The tumor was removed in November 2018. A team of surgeons removed part her fibula (leg bone) and used the tissue to reconstruct and support the right side of her face. Since 2018 she has endured several procedures that have significantly affected her quality of life. Here are the larger procedures so far:November 2018 - upper right jaw removed and replaced with donor tissue from her lower leg.May 2022 - upper left jaw removed and replaced with donor tissue from lower leg.***The combination of the two procedures above have left Nia without any upper teeth, which has made eating much more challenging. She will not have the option of dentures or other reconstructive dental work until her mouth has completely healed from these procedures to remove the tumors.