Stem Cell Therapy for Karlie

It’s never easy asking for help, but sometimes there are times you just have to hold your head up, swallow a little pride, and do whatever it is you have to do for your kids.  Karlie Klaerner needs your help.  She was born at 10 weeks premature weighing in at just 3lbs 4oz.  She was healthy, pink and full of energy.  We thought everything would be just fine …. Just give this baby time to grow and mature to full-term.  It was to our surprise that Karlie was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (all premature babies are at risk for this).  She looked great and was gaining weight- but an MRI concluded that being born early took a toll on areas of Karlie’s brain (damage to specific areas was clear in the scan).  Knowing exactly how CP would impact Karlie was a waiting game.  By the time Karlie was 2-3 years old, we knew that Karlie had immense gross and fine motor impairments.

Parenting is hard.  Parenting a special needs child presents a whole new set of challenges. The balancing act of trying to do everything that your child needs is a never-ending experience.  Daily therapy, doctor appointments, specialists, surgeries, recovery, walkers, wheelchairs, AFOs (ankle-foot orthosis) are all part of our daily lives.  Karlie struggles with daily activities.  She has Quad CP, meaning that all 4 of her limbs are affected.  She does not walk independently.  She is in need of assistance for all daily living activities.  Despite these obstacles, Karlie has managed to smile everyday.  She has unyielding optimism, quick wit, an incredibly sharp mind and always sees the best in every single situation.  She is truly an inspiration.

In 2007, our amazing family, friends and community helped Karlie with funds for a spinal surgery (SDR) in St. Louis that was amazing for her.  It helped with removing the spasticity and she gained a lot from therapy.  Since that time, Karlie has had an additional 4 surgeries, 2 wheelchairs, 2 walkers and hundreds of hours of therapy. As you can imagine, surgeries, therapy and equipment are very costly.

Now at the age of 12, advancements in Stem Cell treatments are promising for kids like Karlie.  Doctors can now take Stem Cells that are harvested from donor umbilical cords and use these stem cells to help grow tissue (in Karlie’s case, help connect the areas of her brain that have been affected by injury). Dr. John Shieh, M.D. from Pasadena California, has been working with children and giving them new stem cells for 2.5 years now.  These children are seeing many different types of improvements including nervous system, speech, balance, motor skill improvements - just to name a few.  All positive improvements.  There have been no reports of negative results for these children.   There is, of course, no magic pill that will make Karlie’s ailments disappear, but this treatment holds real promise to improve her quality of life --- and she needs your help for this chance.  Insurance DOES NOT cover any of the Stem Cell Treatment.  It is too new. We don’t feel that Karlie can wait on the government to decide Stem Cells are a positive treatment. 

Our family will continue to work as hard as possible to make every dollar and everyday count.  We are teachers in Public Education (haven’t given up yet!). Karlie’s dad is a football coach who has recently powered through stage 3 cancer.  Children are our lives.  We give everyday to make their future brighter.  Our family medical problems have put Stem Cell Therapy for Karlie out of our reach --- She needs your help.

The Stem Cell procedure will cost $20,000 for each treatment.  This includes medical treatment and transportation to California.  Two or more treatments would be most beneficial for Karlie. Any additional funds collected will be used for a much needed wheelchair lift for the family van.   If you would consider donating to Karlie’s Go Fund Me page, our family would be forever grateful.  Every little bit helps, so please donate what you can and spread this request to as many people as you feel comfortable.  You can be assured that 100% of your donation is going directly to a little girl who needs help – No Red Tape, No Bureaucracy, No large organization with competing priorities.  

Every child deserves the best chance to live life to the fullest.


Thank you for your help for Karlie’s Stem Cell Therapy.

 God Bless.