Help Shelby Get Life-Saving Medical Treatment

Our daughter Shelby is a bright, spirited, and loving child who has been fighting a devastating illness for the past two years. Shelby was diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis, a rare and life-threatening condition for a child caused by genetic mutations.

Chronic Pancreatitis is a disease where the pancreas becomes inflamed and permanently damaged over time. It never heals—only worsens. In Shelby’s case, doctors have already seen part of her pancreas begin to die off (necrosis). Without effective treatment, her condition would eventually lead to pancreatic cancer or the need for a complete removal of her pancreas.

This disease has taken so much from her childhood over the past few years. Once an active, healthy, and energetic girl, Shelby now suffers from random and severe episodes that leave her hospitalized for weeks at a time, sometimes months.

Her symptoms include:

• Extreme abdominal pain that immobilizes her

• Nausea, vomiting, and food sensitivity

• Fevers and fatigue

• Heightened risk of illness, where even a cold can trigger a dangerous flare-up

These attacks are unpredictable. When Shelby isn’t in an episode, she feels “normal” and wants nothing more than to enjoy life like any other child. But when the pain hits, she is forced into hospital beds to have IV treatments, unable to eat for sometimes a couple of weeks, and subjected to endless surgical procedures.

This has also deeply impacted her education and emotional well-being. Shelby has missed months of school, struggles to catch up, and battles depression and fear about her future. Despite this, she remains a curious, intelligent, and determined child who still dreams big—if only her health would give her the chance.

Current Treatments & Why We Need Help

Shelby currently takes daily enzyme replacements (Creon) to help her body process food. Every 60–90 days, she undergoes painful stent placement surgeries in her pancreas—temporary “band-aid” procedures that only buy her a little more time.

Doctors at UCSF have labeled her a candidate for eventual Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation (TPIAT), a grueling 12–18 hour surgery where her pancreas, spleen, appendix, and gallbladder would all be removed. Even if successful, this surgery would leave her dependent on lifelong medication and treatments, with no guarantee of freedom from pain.

Shelby’s condition requires constant hospitalizations, procedures, and specialized care. The medical expenses have grown far beyond what our family can manage alone, and the journey ahead will involve ongoing treatments, surgeries, and supportive therapies to give her the best chance at a full life.

How You Can Help

We are asking for your help to raise the funds needed to cover Shelby’s extensive medical treatments, procedures, and ongoing care. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to giving her the future she deserves—a future not defined by pain and hospital walls.

Shelby is a fighter, but she cannot do this alone. With your support, we can give her hope, healing, and the chance at a brighter tomorrow.

Please consider donating and sharing Shelby’s story. Together, we can give her a real chance at life.