I want to introduce Stokes Kasmeier. Stokes is a member of our family who is in need of prayers at the moment but also in need of some financial assistance while he is in the hospital, in the neuro ICU, on an extended stay.

~ Stokes Story

I was born premature in February of 1996, weighing just 2 pounds 9 ounces — so small my parents could hold me in the palm of their hand. I remained in the pediatric ICU at Huntsville Hospital for nearly three months. At four months old, I was diagnosed with hydrocephalus caused by a brain bleed. My parents and family were terrified — they had never heard the word “hydrocephalus” before, and the thought of their fragile newborn facing brain surgery was overwhelming.

In June 1996, at less than a year old, surgeons implanted my first shunt system. That surgery marked the beginning of a lifelong journey.

Over the years, I’ve had both VP (ventriculoperitoneal) and VA (ventriculoatrial) shunts:

• A VP shunt drains cerebrospinal fluid from the brain into the abdominal cavity, where the body absorbs it.

• A VA shunt drains the fluid from the brain into the right atrium of the heart, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Between 4 months old and 6 years old, I underwent 21 brain surgeries — many due to shunt malfunctions, with one caused by a serious staph infection involving the shunt itself. My care during those years was entrusted to the late Dr. Robert Sanford at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, a gifted pediatric neurosurgeon who guided me and my family through each procedure with compassion and skill.

By God’s grace, I came through those surgeries without major lasting complications. My only struggle has been a learning disability in math — but that has never stopped me from pursuing my goals and dreams.

~ Recent Challenges

For more than two decades, I lived relatively stable without major complications. But in 2025, things changed dramatically.

On July 4, 2025, I underwent my 22nd brain surgery after a shunt catheter became clogged. What followed were a series of complications, additional surgeries, and setbacks that tested me physically and emotionally. Just weeks later, I was back in the operating room for another revision.

Then in August 2025, I faced one of my toughest battles yet — a Citrobacter bacterial infection that forced my neurosurgeon, Dr. Thomas Ostergard, to remove my entire shunt system. An external ventricular drain (EVD) was placed to temporarily relieve pressure on my brain while I continue receiving strong IV antibiotics.

As I write this, I remain in the hospital, still waiting for the infection to fully clear before a new shunt can be placed. In the meantime, my intracranial pressure has spiked dangerously at times, leading to several seizures — one lasting nearly nine minutes. The EVD has even clogged, requiring emergency intervention. Additional scans have revealed two brain abscesses, further delaying surgery.

This season has been one of the hardest of my life. These hospitalizations and procedures — each of which has been a sobering reminder of how fragile life can be — have also reminded me of the incredible strength, grace, and perseverance God continues to provide me with every step of the way.

Through it all, one verse has carried me:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

~ Our Current Need

While Stokes is in the hospital undergoing multiple surgeries and still waiting for more, he obviously cannot work. As we all know, bills continue even when the income stops. Stokes parents are helping as much as possible but as his medical insurance comes to an end this month they are reaching out for help.

Anyone who knows the Kasmeier family knows they do not ask for help lightly. However, Stokes needs our assistance at this time.

If you feel it in your heart and are able please consider donating to his need. God will bless you!