Hello, My name is Hannah and I have started this fundraiser to help my three year old niece Hazel and her family. Hazel is a beautiful spunky, intelligent little girl. Recently we noticed that she was not the same little girl that she used to be. She had a lot of trouble with her balance causing her to often get injured. She went from being completely potty trained to in diapers again and her speech seemed to rapidly regress. She was taken to C.H.O.P, the children's hospital in Philadelphia for testing. After an MRI, CT scan and lumbar puncture as well as countless other tests she was given a life changing diagnosis. Idiopathic intercranial hypertension also known as Pseudotumor cebri. This occurs when the pressure increases around your brain for no obvious reason. The symptoms resemble those of a large brain tumor but no tumor is present. This occurs in 1 out of every 160,000 people, most of which are overweight diabetic woman in their child bearing years. It is EXTREMLY rare in children. This disorder is incurable. The side effects of the disorder are partial/complete vision loss due to papilledema to much pressure on the optic nerve which cause unrepairable damage, severe headaches, neck stiffness, exercise intolerance, whooshing noises in ears, memory difficulties and loss, fatigue, hearing loss and dizziness.

The pressure on Hazels brain has caused behavioral disturbances as well as developmental regression. After undergoing tests she started a medication to keep fluid off of her brain lowering her intercranial pressure. Her symptoms started improving rapidly. Although a symptom of this medication can stop her from growing. Her doctors (neurologist, optomologist, endocrinologist and neuro ophthalmologist) were happy with the results. Recently Hazel had Covid and then immediately after came down with the flu. While she no longer seemed sick she started having periods of respiratory distress where her heart rate would increase and her lips would turn blue. After several trips to the emergency room and to her pediatrician they werent sure if her previous bouts of Covid and the flu had something to do with it or if it was a side effect of the medication that is keeping the fluid off of her brain. Her doctor decided to take her off of the medication and see if that helps with her breathing. After just 24 hours of being off of her medication she she started regressing. Coming off of the medication has been very hard for Hazel and we are all so afraid of the unknown outcome that this could have on her.

She has several upcoming appointments with her amazing team of doctors to see what can be done and if they can find an answer to why she is having such respiratory issues. If the medication is what is causing her to have breathing difficulties they will have to stop giving it to her and the next best option is to have a stent placed into her head.

Her mommy, who is my sister, is a single mother. Hazel also has a two year old little sister and a 14 year old older brother. Hazels diagnosis has caused her mommy to miss an extreme amount of work due to having to go back and forth to the hospital. Sometimes traveling several times a week for different appointments with her doctors as Hazel is also in the process of possibly being diagnosed with autism as well as starting speech therapy and occupational therapy to help with the regression of her motor skills. There is no cure for her diagnosis, only treatment.

While we are mostly asking for prayers if you feel led to help financially it would be the biggest blessing. Money for utility bills ( water, gas and electric) and gas money for trips back and forth from the hospital which is a few hours away would help ease the stress on Hazels family immensely.