Help our Issy get through this tough time

Hi, from the family of Issy Macdonald. This is not something we want to do but we have no other choice at this point. We hope that through your help we can get Issy through a very worrisome and difficult time.

Issy was born with Hydrocephalus, which is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain. At four months she had a shunt implanted in her brain. The excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain flows through the shunt to another part of her body. Issy's shunt tubing flows into her abdomen and is absorbed into her blood. A person has a shunt for their life.

Usually, people with hydrocephalus are followed by a neurologist but when Issy turned 18 her Neurologist who had been her doctor since 4 months old could no longer see her. She was referred to an adult Neurologist who during COVID closed her file without telling us. She was left without a neurologist. Issy is a young adult living at home with her parents. Along with hydrocephalus, she has a learning disability. She'll continue to need support throughout her life.

Over the last couple of weeks, Issy had been experiencing severe migraines. Last week we decided Issy needed to go to the hospital. Before we could get ready and go she had a grand mal seizure. We called 911. She was taken to our city hospital where she spent three days not improving. Her migraines continued getting worse. It was decided she needed more intense medical care and diagnosis. She was transferred to a larger hospital in Toronto.

Issy's been at St. Michael's for two weeks. When she was admitted and waiting on a diagnosis she had several grand mal seizures. One seizure caused her to stop breathing.

She was resuscitated but left with difficulty speaking and major weakness. She continued to decline. Doctors were unable to determine what was causing her migraines, seizures, and other issues. Issy's mom kept saying her shunt was failing. Due to a lack of buildup of fluid in her brain, the doctors didn't feel it was her shunt. It was determined because she was deteriorating so rapidly that they would take her to surgery to check her shunt. The doctors found that her shunt had, in fact, failed. The neurosurgeon replaced her shunt on Monday.

Each day that she's in the hospital she develops another problem medically. She now has a feeding tube because she can't take in enough nutrients due to her problem with swallowing. Her heart rate is dangerously high. She's receiving more tests etc to help determine what's going on medically now that her shunt has been replaced.

Due to Issy being hours away from home in Toronto knowing she has a long road ahead of her at St. Michael's. There will be several hours of rehabilitation after she is deemed well enough to be rehabilitated. Traveling back and forth to the hospital has become costly and with both parents on disability, it has become quite costly traveling back and forth every day from our home here in Midland to Toronto. It's impossible to stay in Toronto as hotels/motels are costly and we cannot afford this expense.

Anyone's help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your kindness.