She Fought to Walk Once. Now She Needs Your Help
Donation protected
Please Help Gracelynn Keep Her Mobility — Urgent Medical Support Needed
Hi,
I’m Nicole Williams, proud mom of 9-year-old Gracelynn — a fierce, bright, and deeply loving child who’s fighting every day to keep her mobility. Gracelynn was born with spina bifida occulta and a tethered spinal cord. At just 4 months old, she was in so much pain she couldn’t even sit up or roll over. After her first spinal surgery at 7 months, she rolled over for the first time — and our whole family wept with joy. But now, her condition is worsening again. Gracelynn’s spinal cord has re-tethered. She lives with constant pain in her back, legs, and feet. Walking is becoming harder each day as she grows. Her mobility is fading — again. We’ve seen it coming for months, and now specialists at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida confirm. This is her chance to stop the damage. To walk again. To keep her independence.
⸻
Why Florida?
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg is one of the best in the nation for pediatric neurosurgery and spina bifida. Their team has the tools, experience, and empathy we’ve been praying for. But as Oklahoma residents, we’re stuck. • Our state Medicaid won’t pay out-of-state • Our private insurance covers only a portion • Her appointments, MRIs, and urology consults have already cost thousands Just one consult last week cost $236 out-of-pocket — and that was with insurance. ⸻ What We’re Facing We are driving back and forth from Oklahoma to Florida with every cent we have. We’re sleeping in hostels, bunkhouses, campgrounds — whatever we can afford. Through your previous donations we’ve paid for:
• Gas, oil changes, tires (and tire repairs!) • Meals during long hospital days
• Parking, tolls, hotels, Airbnbs
• Medical co-pays and uncovered procedures
• Assistive equipment, meds etc
• And $$$ in urgent testing!!!
We do not have time to price-shop for medical care or tests with how fast she is loosing mobility. We are going negative in our account just to get Gracie to her appointments. We are out of options. But we still have you.
⸻
You’re the Hero of Her Story
This community — strangers, friends, family — you are the reason she’s come this far. I’m just the butler in this story. The whisper you almost don’t hear. You’re the real Batman. The real Rogue. You’re the one keeping the wheels on this crazy train. We cannot do this alone. I want to, it would be so much easier to be able to pay for it and be done with it and focus on Grace alone. But we can’t- this is where we are at. Consider this us calling for your help like they do in the comic books because we are.
⸻
Please Help
Every donation — even $5 — fuels the next appointment, the next test, the next chance at Grace walking again. If you can’t give, please share. Your kindness gives Gracelynn real hope and tangible help. Your donation is tangible help, but it’s also more than that. It shows her a group/ a community of people who are cheering her on. And that means everything when the tests are so painful she wants to give up. Let’s keep her moving forward.
With love and endless gratitude,
Nicole Williams & Family
Hi,
I’m Nicole Williams, proud mom of 9-year-old Gracelynn — a fierce, bright, and deeply loving child who’s fighting every day to keep her mobility. Gracelynn was born with spina bifida occulta and a tethered spinal cord. At just 4 months old, she was in so much pain she couldn’t even sit up or roll over. After her first spinal surgery at 7 months, she rolled over for the first time — and our whole family wept with joy. But now, her condition is worsening again. Gracelynn’s spinal cord has re-tethered. She lives with constant pain in her back, legs, and feet. Walking is becoming harder each day as she grows. Her mobility is fading — again. We’ve seen it coming for months, and now specialists at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida confirm. This is her chance to stop the damage. To walk again. To keep her independence.
⸻
Why Florida?
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg is one of the best in the nation for pediatric neurosurgery and spina bifida. Their team has the tools, experience, and empathy we’ve been praying for. But as Oklahoma residents, we’re stuck. • Our state Medicaid won’t pay out-of-state • Our private insurance covers only a portion • Her appointments, MRIs, and urology consults have already cost thousands Just one consult last week cost $236 out-of-pocket — and that was with insurance. ⸻ What We’re Facing We are driving back and forth from Oklahoma to Florida with every cent we have. We’re sleeping in hostels, bunkhouses, campgrounds — whatever we can afford. Through your previous donations we’ve paid for:
• Gas, oil changes, tires (and tire repairs!) • Meals during long hospital days
• Parking, tolls, hotels, Airbnbs
• Medical co-pays and uncovered procedures
• Assistive equipment, meds etc
• And $$$ in urgent testing!!!
We do not have time to price-shop for medical care or tests with how fast she is loosing mobility. We are going negative in our account just to get Gracie to her appointments. We are out of options. But we still have you.
⸻
You’re the Hero of Her Story
This community — strangers, friends, family — you are the reason she’s come this far. I’m just the butler in this story. The whisper you almost don’t hear. You’re the real Batman. The real Rogue. You’re the one keeping the wheels on this crazy train. We cannot do this alone. I want to, it would be so much easier to be able to pay for it and be done with it and focus on Grace alone. But we can’t- this is where we are at. Consider this us calling for your help like they do in the comic books because we are.
⸻
Please Help
Every donation — even $5 — fuels the next appointment, the next test, the next chance at Grace walking again. If you can’t give, please share. Your kindness gives Gracelynn real hope and tangible help. Your donation is tangible help, but it’s also more than that. It shows her a group/ a community of people who are cheering her on. And that means everything when the tests are so painful she wants to give up. Let’s keep her moving forward.
With love and endless gratitude,
Nicole Williams & Family
Organizer
Nicole Williams
Organizer
Moore, OK