Support Our Little Mavie's Medical Needs

As a an extended family, we are raising funds for our little warrior princess, Mavie.

 

Mavie is Carl and Jerevie's 3rd child. Carl and Jerevie struggled with infertility and after almost 2 years of fertility treatments, they were able to conceive Mavie and finally complete their family. Everything seemed normal with Jerevie's pregnancy until their anatomy scan at 21 weeks.

 

Mavie was diagnosed with Spina Bifida (which affects 1 per 2000 births). After further diagnostic imaging, she was also found to have Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (affects 1 per 3000 births) and Situs Inversus (affects 1 per 10,000 births). The doctors closely monitored the pregnancy due to the high risks of preterm labor and stillbirth. Jerevie was able to carry Mavie to term, and she was born via c-section on May 31st. Mavie is currently at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah where she is expected to have multiple surgeries to address her complex medical conditions. She is estimated to have a minimum of 3-month stay at the NICU and has a lot of medical needs and procedures.

 

Spina Bifida is a congenital condition where the spine fails to develop completely during the early stages of pregnancy, even before the mother knows she's pregnant. This condition results in paralysis in the areas controlled by the damaged nerves. Mavie has Myelomeningocele, the most severe form of Spina Bifida. She is expected to have limited to no mobility from her thighs down, and will most likely have no bladder control. With Spina Bifida, she needs to have back closure surgery to prevent further brain damage. This will not fix anything other than making sure there is no more opening in her spine. The damage to her nerves has been done and this cannot be undone. The goal now is to make sure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is no longer leaking from her back. Ideally, her back surgery would be done within 24 hours of birth. Her medical team made sure her lesion was well covered and always sterile to avoid infections until she can have surgery. She had her back closure surgery at 2 days old. She tolerated the surgery well and is healing. She might need additional surgeries, including brain surgery to address hydrocephalus where a shunt is placed in her brain to help drain the fluid from the baby's brain and protect it from too much pressure.

 

She is currently relying on a ventilator to breathe because she is working with only one developed lung. This is because of her other condition, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). With CDH, the diaphragm did not develop completely and there is a hole that allowed the baby's visceral organs to migrate into the chest cavity. Mavie has a hole on her diaphragm's right side. Her stomach and small intestines are up under her right lung, which resulted in an underdeveloped right lung. Usually, the liver is on the right side of the body, but because Mavie also has Situs Inversus (her major internal organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions), her liver is on the left side. This creates some complications with her surgeries, both for her CDH and for Spina Bifida.

 

The Canlas family has a long road ahead with Mavie's medical conditions. Mavie is loved and wanted and means the world to her family. Her brothers are obsessed with her and can't wait for her to heal and come home. Carl and Jerevie have always worked hard to provide for their children and will do anything to make sure their children can have a comfortable life. They have made sacrifices to achieve their dreams and create a good life for their young family. While Mavie's medical situation comes as a curveball, both Carl and Jerevie are determined to create a life of normalcy for her.

 

Mavie herself is a fighter. Initially diagnosed as growth-restricted at 24 weeks, she fought hard in the womb and was cleared of that diagnosis at 34 weeks. She weighed 9 lbs at birth and let out a little cry, something most babies with CDH were not expected to be able to do. At 2 days old, she tolerated her first surgery well. She's scheduled to have another surgery as soon as her back heals, this time to repair her hernia and put her organs back in the abdomen.

 

Mavie is expected to be in the NICU for a minimum of 3 months. The surgeries she will need will depend on her progress and how well her body responds to treatment. The costs of Mavie's medical treatment add up quickly and Carl and Jerevie need your help and support at this time of need. Both are still able to work, although Jerevie has taken a significantly lower amount of workload to be able to take care of the children and focus on Mavie's healing and rehabilitation.

 

We would appreciate it very much if you would consider donating any amount to help Carl and Jerevie finance Mavie's medical treatments. You can also send any monetary donations directly to them via Venmo (@Jerevie-Canlas).

If you are unable to donate at this time, please share to spread the word. Prayers are also very much appreciated. You can also follow her medical journey on Facebook at Little Mavie's Rare Adventure. Thank you so so much from the bottom of our hearts, and may the Lord bless your generous hearts!