Harper's road to recovery!

July 21st 2019 started off like any other day for the Tambone family. My sister and brother in-law took their daughter Harper over to my dad’s house to enjoy some playtime in the pool. Later that night Harper seemed to be her normal silly self, but within a matter of seconds everything changed. Her body turned completely blue and she passed out. This was something that neither my sister or brother in-law could see coming. After a trip the ER and several tests later, their only conclusion was she experienced an episode of “breath- holding spell”. With the doctor’s approval, they were released and sent home. The following day Harper seemed to be back to her normal self again. Spent most of the morning playing, eating and doing what any typical 1.5-year-old would do. Later that day my sister laid Harper down for her usual afternoon nap. She placed her in the crib and shut the door. Moments later, she heard what sounded like something hitting the floor. After looking at the monitor, Harper looked to be sleeping peacefully. That was not enough to ease my sisters mind, so she decided to head back into her room to observe a little more. That’s when Sammie found Harper laying completely blue and unconscious in her crib. After calling 911 she prepared herself to perform CPR. Thankfully Harper began breathing again before the first responders arrived. She was rushed into Maine Medical Center and observed by a handful of doctors. After a few days of being monitored for seizure like episodes and no real conclusion as to why this kept happening, she was once again sent home. Less than 36 hours later Harper experience yet another episode and landed back in the hospital.

1 month later and Harper currently resides at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. My sister and brother in-law have watched their little girl go from living her best days, to being confined to a feeding tube and limited time outside of her hospital room. At this point, everything has become a waiting game. Their team of doctors have spent weeks running multiple test, ruling out a handful of reasons as to why their little girl is suffering. We still do not have an answer for any of this, nor is there a plan on when they will be able to go home. Once Harper is well enough to return home, she will require the feeding tube to help bring her weight back up as she has dropped down to 15lbs. Her recovery does not end there, she will need multiple visit a week with her primary care doctor until there are no signs of worrisome. As you can imagine this has taken a major toll on not only their freedom, but financially. My sister has not been able to leave the hospital or attend work in over a month. Mike has had to completely re-adjust his everyday schedule so that he can not only continue working to provide for his girls, but also find the additional time needed for the hospital, as well as attending to their beloved dog Marley at home.

My family and I are coming together to help give them the support they truly need. Any act of kindness will go a long way. Money is not always the resolution when a family is need, but it certainly can help take a load of stress off their shoulders. We can ALL show support in one way or another. If you’d like to help with a home cooked meal- let me know. I can provide you with a list of things they love. If you’d like to send Harper a get-well card, I can provide you with the information. Thank you kindly for your time, generosity, and support for my sister, brother in-law and most importantly Harper.