Surgery for Leo the Brave Strong

Our lovely, “Leo the Brave Strong” is needing a second major surgery for his cleft palate.  As many of you remember he had an extensive surgery when he was 13 months to repair the cleft in the roof of his mouth.  It was a very stressful time and as a mama, Anya still has difficulty looking back at the suffering he went through, especially post-surgery to heal.  Since then Leo has thrived and is a healthy and vibrant boy. The main lingering consequences of the cleft are ears that don’t drain well and difficulties with speech.   He has worked really hard in weekly speech therapy for years and will continue, but at this year’s annual meeting at UC Davis the doctors recommended a new surgery as the length of his palate makes it virtually impossible for him to say some words clearly. On February 13th, Leo will have new ear tubes inserted, and a “pharyngeal flap repair”.  The procedure will elongate his soft palate and improve his speech. As it is, when he speaks, the back of his mouth doesn’t fully “close”—making the production of certain consonant sounds, loud sounds, and breath control anatomically impossible. Without repair, all of his earnest hard work in speech therapy will have limited effect. This surgery will require an overnight in the hospital and 2-3 weeks of missed school and intensive healing. We are so grateful for your prayers on Thursday morning especially, and in the next weeks as he recovers and heals.

Anya and Dave, both teachers, have "hit by an astroid" insurance and will pay a minimum of $8,000 out of pocket.  When asked, Anya refused to let us make a GoFundMe, saying in her typical truly altruistic manner that there are many with more need than them.  While we agree and feel grateful every day for our lives, we also feel like there is room to help this sweet family. Finally, she allowed us to make a fundraiser, but preferred it stayed private and small.  This is for Leo.