Help Cover Medical Costs for Baby Elle and Family

My name is Rachel and I have created this fund to raise money for my Niece, Elle. Elle Freyja Brownell was born in November of 2021 and is coming up on being 3 months old this month. Elle has had a number of medical emergencies and health concerns since her birth.

 

In January Elle had an episode where she stopped breathing and was rushed to the emergency room. After multiple days of hospital stays and many test, doctors deemed she had a brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE). More simply put a recognized period where an infant stops breathing and may turn blue. But doctors couldn’t pinpoint what had caused it to happen. During her time in January at the hospital it was noticed that Elle had the symptoms of developmental dysplasia of the hip. The femoral head of her femur was not staying in place properly in her hip socket - causing the ball to fall out of the socket. Undiagnosed and untreated Elle had the potential to walk later in life and may have always had a limp. Elle was fitted with a harness that acted as a brace to hold her hips in place allowing for the bone to grow and develop normally. The brace is quite intensive being wrapped on Elle’s midsection shoulders and legs. Elle needed to keep the brace she was fitted with on constantly for a month. Elle recently was checked regarding her hip dysplasia progress and one side seems to be improved while the other has not. Doctors are determining if Elle will try more weeks with the brace or need to have her hip and leg more permanently casted.

 

In the beginning of February Elle’s pediatrician noticed Elle had a concerning decline in weight. They were again sent back to the hospital. Doctors discovered that Elle’s esophageal flap isn’t properly closing when she drinks milk often causing her to aspirate food into her lungs. The discomfort and pain of that sensation had caused Elle to show a lack of interest feeding. Since the discovery of this problem, Elle is being fed solely with a feeding tube. Doctors would like to keep her nourished this way until she regains weight. Elle and her family are in the hospital as I write this all. They expect to be there till the end of the weekend and once sent home must continue tube feeding her themselves.

 

Before these emergency visits in January and February, Elle’s Mother Kena had a difficult and long birth. Elle remained at the hospital after her birth due to small birth weight and slow weight gain. Kena is also undergoing physical therapy rebuilding muscle strength damaged during labor.

 

My Brother, Dylan and Sister-In-Law, Kena moved to Chicago IL within the last year. Their condo was recently flooded and they have been displaced living in a hotel for going on 2 months. There has been a lot of stress on their family.

 

Elle, Kena and Dylan now have the burden of many unforeseen medical expenses related to hospital stays and emergency room visits. Any donations to help them cover the costs of medical expenses, transportation to and from visits and getting take in food is greatly appreciated. Help us ease their burden of worrying how to pay for this all and let them focus on each other.

 

Thank you