Hello, Thank you for taking the time to visit this page we decided to create for Kaitlyn! Pictured above, you can see me, Allison -Kaitlyn's Mom, Joey is Kaitlyn's Dad, and Alyse is her beautiful 14-year-old sister.

If you've ever met Kaitlyn, you would know this 17-year-old faith-filled beautiful teenager was usually the one who was helping others.

On May 7th 2022 the tables were turned.

Kaitlyn, a cancer survivor from the age of two years old, first got the call in March for her long-awaited a heart and liver. She was on the transplant list for over 3 years due to the damage chemo, and radiation had caused her organs. She was finally got the call to head to Jackson Memorial Hospital and her day was here! After so many tests, the transport arrived at our door. They went to roll Kaitlyn away and we heard the words echo "cancel the transport" through the hall. Her already weak heart was broken. The transplant was canceled. The donor heart had dangerous arrhythmias and it was explained to us we should be thankful that it was stopped.

Seeing Kaitlyn cry was hard because it wasn't long before she wiped away her tears and like a champ said "at least I didn't find out after the heart was transplanted." She even hugged and thanked the heart transplant surgeon. The emotions were sad, angry and happy all at one time. Kaitlyn described the experience as a feeling of grief or loss because she felt as if she lost something that was ment to be a part of her.

Anyway, a few weeks later that same number popped up on my caller ID. Again the woman stated they had a perfect heart and liver match for Kaitlyn and we should come down to the hospital early the next morning. I don't think any of us slept that evening.

When we arrived at the hospital, we will never forget the emotions that flooded the room. The day of the transplant is an event difficult to prepare for emotionally, especially after our first experience.

We prayed together as a family over the stretcher and watched as Kaitlyn was rolled away to the operating room. Never realizing that after that moment, our lives would change drastically.

Eight hours later, Seeing Kaitlyn being wheeled out of such a massive surgery that was a complete success was a huge relief, and we praised God for his blessings upon her. We could not have been more thankful and happy.

But 24 hours post transplant -Kaitlyn went into cardiac arrest in the ICU for 11 minutes - Her new heart went into an arrhythmia and stopped.

This event left Kaitlyn with something called an HIE injury (hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy) or a fancy way of saying a serious brain injury.

The Kaitlyn we brought to the hospital that day, who was working, driving, eating, dancing, and fully capable of daily life activities, came out of the operating room, ultimately needing full assistance.

She now has a tracheostomy, is non-verbal, feeds through an NG tube and cannot move without help. Her strong heart and her healthy liver are two gifts we will forever be grateful for to the donor and their family. The one thing that remains a constant is Kaitlyn's smile. Her beautiful smile is just the beginning of a "comeback" story you will not want to miss.

We (our family) thought long and hard before starting a go-fund-me page because we were not sure exactly what we would need. But after months of uphill battles with nursing companies, physical therapy, and speech therapy, we have quickly learned of a few things we could use some help with.

Most of our struggle with this situation is getting Kaitlyn up and moving again. It shocked us how hard it is to get physical therapy for her. So like one of Kaitlyn's favorite tunes "whatever it takes" we will do just that to get her what she needs to have a fair chance at getting back on her feet.

One of the items we would like to purchase with your generous funding is a wheelchair van that would allow us to take her to and from treatment. These special needs vans are very pricey but would enable us to get her on the road to recovery so we can take her to outpatient therapy and the hospital in Miami when needed. Another tremendous benefit would be visiting the family during the holidays.

Secondly, we would like to use funds to purchase equipment that was not covered by insurance but would help Kaitlyn to get moving at home. For example, there is a sit to stand machine that would assist her with standing up.

We hang on to the hope that Kaitlyn will gain neuroplasticity - when the brain develops new ways or alternate routes to get things done. The younger a person is the more likely this can happen so we know there is hope.

We also could not have made it through this journey without our strong faith in the Lord. God is not finished with Kaitlyn just yet. I believe she will make a recovery and go on to tell her testimony to many, many people.

I am typing this tonight from Kaitlyn's hospital room - we have been here 17 days. Not long ago, Kaitlyn started to spike fever at home, so we had to go to the hospital immediately. The hospital has a difficult time finding the source of the infection. They have her so immunosuppressed so she doesn't reject the new organs, she can barely fight the most simple of infections. So here we wait. Patiently. Praying nonstop for answers.

Tomorrow, many golfers will have joined together to play in a golf tournament for "Kaitlyn's Gift".

This charity event originated from Kaitlyn and it raises funds to buy toys for the kids in Miami hospitalized during the holidays. Kaitlyn came up with the idea when she was younger because she was hospitalized during Christmas and always wondered how Santa would get into the hospital to deliver toys. She has been doing this charity for about 10 years, and it gets better yearly! Oddly, this year sheKaitlyn looks a lot more like some of the kids she once delivered toys to. Here is a picture of her last year at the tournament trying to get people to register to be organ donors.

We know she will be so proud to see the outcome tomorrow and love the idea that her tradition will remain even if she can't deliver the toys herself this year.

Please follow us to see photos and updates about Kaitlyn's big comeback and all of what she has endured through these last few months and the earlier years of her life. You will see the strong girl she is and remains to be. You will see the face of God in her and how he has, and will continue to use her as a testimony of his love.

We are so grateful to God for still having the opportunity to hug Kaitlyn each day, regardless of the scenario. Please give her sister Alyse a big hug tomorrow if you see her, as she has been such a Marvel-ous sister and this has all been so hard for her especially.

One thing I know for sure is.. #betterdaysarecoming