Help Delaney Heikkinen Afford the Needed Surgery

Hello,

My name is Eva Carter, and I am the great aunt of Delaney Grace Heikkinen. On December 11, 2019 Delaney Grace was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, and underwent two (2) Brain Surgeries. The first surgery was to shave and take out 3 bones in her skull and neck; this is called decompression surgery. The second surgery is more complex; it's called duraplasty. This is where they cut into the muscles and tissue of the brain, raise it, and use her own flesh to make sort of a barrier to provide stability for her brain and help keep it from pushing down on her spinal column.

Last month, our sweet girl Delaney Grace was diagnosed with occult tethered cord. She has abnormalities of the filum terminale—which is just a fancy way of saying that the tissue holding the bottom of her spinal cord is too thick and tight. Because of this, she suffers leg/foot pain and numbness, instability, trouble walking and sitting, as well as extreme kidney/bladder/bowel issues. Surgery may not “fix” everything, but the goal is to keep her symptoms from getting worse, her diagnosis can cause permanent nerve damage with the possibility of paralysis. So, this surgery is a MUST for this little one!

As you may know, this is extremely dangerous and expensive. The Pediatric Chiari Center that can do this NEEDED procedure is in New York. The cost of out-of-pocket from insurance along with transportation, hotel and food is overwhelming, but medically necessary.

The funds will be used to help supplement the medical expenses, travel, food, and hotel for Delany's parents.

#LANEYSTRONG

We are urgently reaching out for help.