Help Grace to Walk Again
Donation protected
Imagine yourself frolicking with your friends, running and playing around after school. One evening you develop a mild pain in the heel of your foot. The pain does not seem to go away. Over the next couple weeks, the pain gets worse. Several doctors and orthopedics cannot determine the root cause of pain. Muscle or skeletal injuries can not be found. As time passes the pain intensifies. The pain becomes so intense that you can not apply any pressure on your foot. A barrage of doctor visits later concludes…nothing. No reasons, no causes, no viable treatment options, and no one seems to know what has happened. Treating the pain symptoms is not working. The only option for relief, stay off the foot. There it is everybody, the solution in early winter of 2018 for a 10 year old girl is…….. to not walk. That’s right. A previously healthy, and extremely active young lady brought to her knees and not able to walk.
As a parent of Grace Bailey, imagine your child limited to hopping on one leg, crawling around on her knees, and standing with one leg lifted off the ground. Imagine everywhere she goes within arm’s reach is a pair of crutches, a knee roller, or even a wheelchair. Imagine seeing the youthful joy in your child slowly diminish as a life of pain consumes her body.
After literally a couple years of seeking answers and treatment that might bring relief, Grace was officially diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS. Paired with CPRS she suffers from Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. CPRS and AMPS is a diagnosis that does not have a cure. The syndrome is one in which the patient will suffer from throughout their lifetime, yet there is a hope.
Through a series of CRPS specific physical and occupational therapies Grace starts to be able to have a sock touch her foot. Yes, you read that properly. Thepain of anything touching her foot was so severe that it would bring her to tears and have her internally screaming in agony. Having a piece of cloth able to rest on her foot is a vast improvement. How many of us take for granted a simple act of putting on a sock?
Therapy once a week was not enough. Grace started to lose muscle mass in her leg. Strength in her calf muscle is minimal at best. Side by side, her right leg below the knee is visually smaller than her left. Concerns of the physical strength to walk how now been introduced with the issue of her pain. Her medical case has been transferred to UNC children’s hospital, and treatment has been increased to two times a week. The UNC treatment facility is 60 miles away from out home. The toll this has placed on everyone is immense.
The UNC treatment has been helpful. Grace has made some slight improvement, but nothing significant. Grace’s main physical therapist has recommended that she be treated at a facility focused on intensive therapy for CRPS and AMPS. This therapy would consist of treatment 6-8 hours a day and for minimum of 3 -4 weeks. These treatment facilities focus on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and the mental therapy needed to overcome the massive amount of pain she deals with. These facilities will rely on her dedication to overcome this disability and teach her how to have a precondition lifestyle. She will be taught how to cope with her pain in a way that she can live a productive life and walk again.
Now we have come to the part of why we need help. Treatment facilities that specializes with this illness are 600 + miles away from home. Graces mother, Jennifer, is disabled and unable to work. I, as the stepfather, work full time to support the needs of the family. The intensive treatment facilities are family focused and require the entire family to be present. This fund will support all cost associated with travel, housing, food, supplies as well as treatment and evaluation cost. Any support will be greatly appreciated. Once we can raise enough money, we will begin to start the initial treatment evaluation and plan the long trip away from home for the treatment.
As a parent of Grace Bailey, imagine your child limited to hopping on one leg, crawling around on her knees, and standing with one leg lifted off the ground. Imagine everywhere she goes within arm’s reach is a pair of crutches, a knee roller, or even a wheelchair. Imagine seeing the youthful joy in your child slowly diminish as a life of pain consumes her body.
After literally a couple years of seeking answers and treatment that might bring relief, Grace was officially diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS. Paired with CPRS she suffers from Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. CPRS and AMPS is a diagnosis that does not have a cure. The syndrome is one in which the patient will suffer from throughout their lifetime, yet there is a hope.
Through a series of CRPS specific physical and occupational therapies Grace starts to be able to have a sock touch her foot. Yes, you read that properly. Thepain of anything touching her foot was so severe that it would bring her to tears and have her internally screaming in agony. Having a piece of cloth able to rest on her foot is a vast improvement. How many of us take for granted a simple act of putting on a sock?
Therapy once a week was not enough. Grace started to lose muscle mass in her leg. Strength in her calf muscle is minimal at best. Side by side, her right leg below the knee is visually smaller than her left. Concerns of the physical strength to walk how now been introduced with the issue of her pain. Her medical case has been transferred to UNC children’s hospital, and treatment has been increased to two times a week. The UNC treatment facility is 60 miles away from out home. The toll this has placed on everyone is immense.
The UNC treatment has been helpful. Grace has made some slight improvement, but nothing significant. Grace’s main physical therapist has recommended that she be treated at a facility focused on intensive therapy for CRPS and AMPS. This therapy would consist of treatment 6-8 hours a day and for minimum of 3 -4 weeks. These treatment facilities focus on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and the mental therapy needed to overcome the massive amount of pain she deals with. These facilities will rely on her dedication to overcome this disability and teach her how to have a precondition lifestyle. She will be taught how to cope with her pain in a way that she can live a productive life and walk again.
Now we have come to the part of why we need help. Treatment facilities that specializes with this illness are 600 + miles away from home. Graces mother, Jennifer, is disabled and unable to work. I, as the stepfather, work full time to support the needs of the family. The intensive treatment facilities are family focused and require the entire family to be present. This fund will support all cost associated with travel, housing, food, supplies as well as treatment and evaluation cost. Any support will be greatly appreciated. Once we can raise enough money, we will begin to start the initial treatment evaluation and plan the long trip away from home for the treatment.
Organizer
Jason White
Organizer
McLeansville, NC