Ilenia's Spinal Surgery expenses

A few months ago, Ilenia was diagnosed with scoliosis. It's a pretty severe case and her orthopedist immediately suggested fusion surgery. We elected to take the less extreme route of trying physical therapy and a brace, then re-evalutating at the end of summer before making such a decision. The surgery her Dr. recommended involves screwing steel rods along her spine. As she has curves in her thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) back, this would severely limit her mobility for the rest of her life. The surgery is irreversible; once it's done, it's done. The lack of movement causes muscle atrophy and additional surgeries are generally predicted. We sought the opinion of Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia, as they have a new procedure available to children who still have spinal growth left. Vertabral Body Tethering, the newer, less invasive surgical option that involves a nylon tether rather than steel rods, meaning she would have full, normal mobility.     
They have approved her for the surgery!  Shriner's in Philadelphia thinks she is a good candidate because she has at least two years left to grow. The tethering only corrects the curve partially, leaving growing room, so her body finishes the correction as she grows taller. If the surgery doesn't correct as much as it should, in the future she would still be able to have the other as an alternative. They have given her a surgery date of 12/18/17. While Shriner's will accept whatever insurance is willing to pay, her parents still have to cover the xray, MRIs, CTs, bloodwork, and other various tests to be done in South Carolina prior to the surgery. These bills are mounting up as the fees, even with insurance, amount to thousands of dollars. Additionally, Ilenia and Chanel will have to be in Philadelphia a minimum of two weeks to have the surgery, which will mean hotel bills, time away from work, and travel expenses. Chanel and Jon would never normally ask for help, but could really use your support at this time.