Lacey Strong

Hello from the family and friends of the Burkhammers'. Nikki is a teacher, and Jeremy is a Foreman in the oil and gas industry. Jeremy and Nikki make wonderful couple; and were just married earlier this year. They have a beautiful one year old son, named Owen. Currently, they are pregnant with a baby girl, whose name is going to be Lacey Renee Burkhammer. Nikki is 22 weeks along in her pregnancy, and found out that baby Lacey has Spina Bifida; in the most severe form... her specific condition is called Myelomeningocele, the fourth form of Spina Bifida, it occurs when the spinal cord/neural elements are exposed through the opening in the spine, resulting in partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the spinal opening.  The impairment may be so severe that the affected individual is unable to walk and may have bladder and bowel dysfunction. Lacey's defect occurs at the L2 L3 vertebrae of her spine. We are raising money for a surgical procedure Lacey needs while still in the womb, at only 23 weeks to drain the fluid from her brain to prevent as much damage as possible. The closest hospital that does this procedure is five hours away from the Burkhammer's home; and they will have to stay in that city the remaining duration of the pregnancy, and then a few weeks after that, as Lacey will have to undergo another surgery just days after her birth. They will be at the hospital the initial four days after the fetal utero operation, afterwards they will have to stay at a local hotel until an availabilty opens up at the local Ronald McDonald House; due to Nikki needing close monitoring for the remainder of the pregnancy. We are trying to raise enough money for them to be able to sustain themselves out of town, but also to maintain the home they just purchased a few months ago, so they have a comfortable place that Lacey can call home and become adjusted to. Any donation and prayer we receive will be sincerely appreciated and we are undoubtedly grateful for anything you are able to give.