Hi friends and family, we have BIG news!

As you may or may not know, Rory was recently assessed for a neurosurgery called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, or SDR, specifically for people like Rory who have mobility limited by spasticity in their lower body. For Rory, the surgery should prevent some more invasive surgeries in the future and help her sit and stand more comfortably. With a lot of work, it's possible she could gain some more independent mobility with a walker! Super exciting stuff!

Rory was approved and will be seen by Dr. TS Park at St Louis Children’s Hospital, the world expert in the field. He has performed this procedure about 5,000 times and is retiring in May.

The surgery is scheduled for April 23, and we’ll be in the hospital for about 5 days after, then released to go to Charlotte for a couple of intense weeks of physical therapy and then finally home ...and a lot more physical therapy.

Our friends have asked about fundraising, and we are certainly open to suggestions. This format always feels accessible to all because if you can't donate, you can share it and stay informed of Rory's incredible journey. If anyone wants to help organize something else, please feel free to get in touch with Heather or her parents.

Because Rory is seeing a surgeon out of state, NC Medicaid will not cover her actual surgery, which will cost 40,000. There are also travel and hotel costs, and Heather is expecting to be out of work for about a month.

Mostly, we want our people to celebrate this big, exciting move with us! With Rory starting kindergarten in the fall, we’re hoping this will be just the start of a lot of big-kid growth and development.