Hello Friends

As most of you know 7 Years ago Gabriel was born with some issues that affect his bones and cartilage which in turn affect his breathing and other issues.  From the start this has been a long road with over 16 Surgeries, He has had a tracheostomy since before he was a year old.  He is wheelchair bound but can get around some on his own. One of the biggest issues is his spine and vertebrae. 5 years ago at Shriners Hospital in Dallas they fused his spine and put rods and mesh in his back to help stabilize him.  Last February they X-rayed and found the rods have broken and now Gabriel and my daughter and her "Little Family," as she calls it, must start all over again. 

On the 21st of October at Shriners they will do the first of 3 Surgeries if COVID doesn't cause this to be postponed again. They will first remove the rods, mesh and bone fusion then put him in a halo.  The next 2 surgeries will again fuse his spine and put more rods in his back. The time frame for these surgeries will vary depending on his recovery and what they see each time they operate.  They want to do them all within the next 2 to 3 months. Just one right after the other after he recovers. There are a lot of unknowns but there a some things we do know.

After each surgery at Shriners, he will be transferred to Dallas Children's Hospital to recover. Because of COVID and his breathing issues, they are only allowing his mother to be around him in the hospital with strict quarantine procedures. It will be basically a week on, a week off with each parent. 

My daughter Cassie will be off work during this time. She will have to drive over a hour to the hospital. She has to pay for hospital parking, food, and at times hotel rooms so she can stay closer to the hospital. She has been working on a buying a car that gets better mileage than the one she has now and we will need to pu a wheel chair carrier on the car also. Cassie will have to have childcare her older son, Luke, and she is still going to college at A&M Commerce. She has worked hard to get where she is and we are hoping for a little  help so she doesn't have to spend all the money she has saved during this hospital stay. She needs help with the expenses and a car but anything including prayers will help.

These surgeries will begin on the October 21st, We have faith that our prayers will be answered that Gabriel will be okay, and that he, Luke and Cassie can move forward.  

Anything that people can do to help will be appreciated. We will be more than grateful for anything you can contribute.  Since 2013, it's been a long hard road for these three very special people.