Nicole's GBS and Stroke Recovery Fundraiser

This Go Fund Me is being started in honor of my twin brother, Daniel, and sister-in-law, Emma. Their daughter Nicole was admitted to the hospital at just 18 days old after being diagnosed with a severe and deadly infection called GBS (Group B Streptococcus), which caused bacterial meningitis, ventriculitis, and vasculitis, and resulted in Nicole having several strokes and many seizures. While GBS is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in newborns and has a known course of treatment, strokes caused by vasculitis in infants are so incredibly rare that experimental steroid use was the only option available to prevent additional strokes and further brain damage.

These issues resulted in Nicole being life-flighted to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, a five night stay in the pediatric ICU, and a minimum total hospital stay of 30 days to receive the necessary monitoring and treatment. During this time, Nicole’s parents have stayed by her side and plan to remain with her until she can return home. The lengthy hospital stay is just the beginning of Nicole’s medical journey given the damage done by the strokes, with the most concerning stroke areas being the cerebrum and cerebellum. These areas control everything from movement to memory, and damage in these areas could range from cerebral palsy to learning disabilities. While a baby’s brain has some capacity to heal and compensate for damage, Nicole’s doctors at Doernbecher have stressed the importance of early intervention and parental involvement in Nicole’s treatment and daily care. She will be monitored closely for at least the next few years by doctors at Doernbecher’s Pediatric Critical Care and Neurotrauma Recovery Program. This means weekly checkups with various doctors around the state and more time off for Emma and Daniel to give her the best care they can.

After many offers of help and an outpouring of support from our community, we decided that a Go Fund Me would be a great avenue for friends and family to support if they are able. The medical bills associated with Nicole’s month-long stay at Doernbecher as well as the long term care costs of further treatment, and the time off work for these treatments over the next few years is going to add up fast. Removing the stress of money from their house will greatly help Daniel, Emma, and Nicole heal from this trauma, both mentally and physically. We greatly appreciate any and all donations and prayers.