Keeping up with Kyle

My name is Lacey Howell and I’m starting this fundraiser for April Polston and her son Kyle. Their story:

“He is missing a bone”, Doug shouted as the doctor placed the x-ray upon the screen at Radys Children's Hospital, San Diego. It was 2008 and at that time our son, Kyle, was 4 months old. We learned he was missing his fibula bone. As new parents we had a million questions; what does that mean for our son's future, what does that mean for our family, what can we as parents do to help our son achieve the best quality of life?

Doug and I were a young military couple. Kyle was our second son, and our oldest son, Kace, was 3 years old. We were living in San Diego on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. As new parents we were terrified to learn our son had an orthopedic condition Fibular Hemimelia.

Kyle has type two Fibular Hemimelia. He was born with the complete absence of a fibula bone in his right leg. Kyle's condition is 1/40,000. As a result of Kyle's condition, he has a number of deformities including but not limited to missing tendons, missing ligaments, deformed or missing small bones and the complete absence of his ACL. Kyle's right leg also grows at a significantly slower rate, which has resulted in a limb length inequality.

Kyle's condition is spontaneous in occurrence and happens somewhere between weeks 3-6 in pregnancy. Kyle has powered through a lifetime of obstacles resulting from his condition as well as the traumatic events surrounding the death of his Dad back in 2016. Kyle's condition is incredibly unique in the way it presents itself and no two cases of fibular hemimelia present the same. Kyle's condition causes him extraordinary pain and creates unique obstacles. Kyle continues to display incredible strength, determination, and character while he fights so hard to just be a normal teenager despite his disability. Kyle has undergone multiple surgeries; he’s had many braces and continues to adapt along the way. But now he faces the most difficult surgery/ procedure of his life.

On July 26, 2023, Kyle underwent the most invasive, life-altering procedure he’s had so far. The procedure lasted hours and ended with a 3-day stay in the University of Kentucky Childrens Hospital. Under the care of Dr. Kluck and his team, Kyle was fitted with devices to correct limb length inequality and the abnormal rotation in his right leg. Kyle will be intensely monitored during the lengthening process over the next 12 months. Kyle will be monitored as the device is manipulated and moved in a way to grow bone and lengthen the femur bone in his right leg. The device is incredible science and is fitted by screwing pins, specifically 5 pins and one wire through Kyle's femur bone. Those pins are affixed to a scaffolding of rings that were placed around the femur and form a fixator around Kyles's leg to hold the bone steady as it pulled apart and the new bone forms. Kyle has open wounds at the pin sights. We have an extensive daily process to care for these pin sites. The lengthening is done by a prescription generated through a program called My HEX and each day we have multiple clicks on the 6 struts around the device. Each click moves in a way to rotate and lengthen the bone. The procedure is unique in the science and the chance of infection, complication and pain is not just possible but expected.

Kyle has an uphill battle ahead of him. We travel 4 hours roundtrip to Shriner's Children's Hospital; each visit lasting 6-8 hours. I have to miss work for these weekly adjustments, and the days are protected by FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) but are unpaid. Any donations received will go towards replacing lost income from caring for Kyle and be used for groceries, gas, and bills.

Many of you know parts of my story. But as a single mother, I have an intense fear of falling short. Today I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes trying to figure out how to be a mother and provide for my special needs son. I am faced with the fact I don’t have Kyle's Dad to rely upon as I was widowed in 2016 when Doug passed. There was no life insurance. I don’t have anyone responsible for my children and their care but me. I do not have a safety net of funds, I cannot stay home and care for my child. I have a choice: I have to either work and have a steady income and abandon my child and his care or I have to be a mother and caregiver and know that the income I generate will stop and we cannot survive financially without my job.

I was hesitant to ask, but following a terrible fall Kyle had on Monday while trying to use the restroom, I have no other choice. My son needs his mother and we need help. I am one person; I am trying my best, but I am unable to do it all alone. I have family medical leave at work but I cannot afford to use it if I don’t supplement my income. Please help my family in our time of need. Thank you all so much for reading my story.