Landen's Cleft lip/palate
Donation protected
Landen Spinks was born on May 19, 2018, to Brooke and Blake Spinks, originally of Mountain Lake. Much to their surprise, as it was never caught on an ultrasound, Landen was born with a double cleft lip and a cleft palate. Not only were they shocked, but they were saddened as well, because they knew they were in for a lifetime of challenges with their new bundle of joy. Becoming new parents is already a learning curve, but the complications of a cleft lip and palate brought along new challenges: how Landen could eat, how he could sleep, etc.
Landen has had a pretty rough start so far, with the first few months of his life being lived in and out of hospitals and clinics. The first of Landen’s multiple surgeries took place on August 16th at Gillette Children’s Hospital in Saint Paul. It turned out great and Landen has a closed lip now! The major downfall to this type of surgery is insurance doesn’t cover very much of it because it’s considered “cosmetic.” The bill for this first surgery alone is nearly $15,000.
After this first surgery, Landen struggled with eating. He lost a pound in just one week, and nothing could comfort the hungry baby. He wouldn’t sleep and was extremely fussy around the clock; this was not their normal baby. Knowing that something was wrong, Brooke brought him back to the doctor’s office several times over the course of the next three weeks. They were admitted back into Gillette for a five night stay to figure out what was causing him to not eat. They started a feeding tube, and within a few days he was able to go home.
During this hospital stay they also discovered Landen has torticollis – a rare condition in which the neck muscles contract and twist to one side. They are going to try physical therapy for 120 days and then revisit the issue to see if it is something more serious that they need to look into.
Brooke, Blake, and Landen still have a long road ahead with a possibility of two more surgeries in his first year. They are hoping to combine his palate surgery with putting tubes into is ears all at once, but that is to be determined. He will also need to have quite a bit of dental work done. Due to having to stretch the gums to try to close the palate, a lot of kids end up missing teeth or having them come in in different places. But Brooke and Blake are determined to give Landen a picture perfect smile that he deserves!
The money we raise will go towards their medical bills and traveling expenses. As anybody can imagine, the expenses pile up quickly. I know the support that a small community has to offer because I’ve seen it before. Let’s help this family out!
Landen has had a pretty rough start so far, with the first few months of his life being lived in and out of hospitals and clinics. The first of Landen’s multiple surgeries took place on August 16th at Gillette Children’s Hospital in Saint Paul. It turned out great and Landen has a closed lip now! The major downfall to this type of surgery is insurance doesn’t cover very much of it because it’s considered “cosmetic.” The bill for this first surgery alone is nearly $15,000.
After this first surgery, Landen struggled with eating. He lost a pound in just one week, and nothing could comfort the hungry baby. He wouldn’t sleep and was extremely fussy around the clock; this was not their normal baby. Knowing that something was wrong, Brooke brought him back to the doctor’s office several times over the course of the next three weeks. They were admitted back into Gillette for a five night stay to figure out what was causing him to not eat. They started a feeding tube, and within a few days he was able to go home.
During this hospital stay they also discovered Landen has torticollis – a rare condition in which the neck muscles contract and twist to one side. They are going to try physical therapy for 120 days and then revisit the issue to see if it is something more serious that they need to look into.
Brooke, Blake, and Landen still have a long road ahead with a possibility of two more surgeries in his first year. They are hoping to combine his palate surgery with putting tubes into is ears all at once, but that is to be determined. He will also need to have quite a bit of dental work done. Due to having to stretch the gums to try to close the palate, a lot of kids end up missing teeth or having them come in in different places. But Brooke and Blake are determined to give Landen a picture perfect smile that he deserves!
The money we raise will go towards their medical bills and traveling expenses. As anybody can imagine, the expenses pile up quickly. I know the support that a small community has to offer because I’ve seen it before. Let’s help this family out!
Organizer and beneficiary
Säda Kliewer
Organizer
Mountain Lake, MN
Brooke Spinks
Beneficiary
