Support Brooke Ford's Healing Journey

My name is Laura Ford Hall and I have been working to raise money for my sweet cousin Brooke Ford, who just got out of Capbell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, WV with Pancreatitis and a terrible abdominal infection. Brooke was born with Cerebral Palsy and thinks and acts on the level of a 2.5 year old child.

She has been in the hospital for a total of nearly 8 weeks, and she now has been released to a Nursing Home in Elkhorn City, KY, to continue to heal, but she will have to go to and from Huntington by ambulance for several trips - one for another pancreatic surgery - and for doctors visits; all while trying to heal her pancreas, and having physical therapy to teach her to walk again.

 We pray so much that she can walk again so she can go back to her home environment that she loves so much. Please help us pray for this crucial step for her. Until then, she will have to remain in a nursing home of the foreseeable future.

ABOUT BROOKE:

 Brooke was born 41 years ago to her dad, Minister Billy Ford and her late mother Debbie Ford, who passed away in 2002. Our family was told Brooke would never talk, walk, see or hear, but God had other plans. Not only is she able to do all of those things, but she can sing and loves it! She loves to sing for Jesus. She has sung at churches all over eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia. She will never understand that she has a true music ministry that has reached so many. She also has sung the National Anthem for the Special Olympics.

BROOKE’s TRANSITION TO THE NURSING HOME

 Now that her care has changed to nursing home care, she will still need trained, kind and special people, to visit her at least every other day (rotating with her dad) to help care for her, making sure she’s eating, keeping her company, answering the phone, calling nurses when she needs help…. Things we take for granted such as calling a family member on the phone when she needs help or when she is crying; or simply pressing a Nurse Call Button, Brooke cannot do these things. We need someone to help her with the most simplistic of tasks to keep her stress level low so she can heal and learn to walk again. Right now she just tells us “I Can’t!”

She has a PIIC Line in her arm to help fight the infection she has. She’s on continued antibiotics for at least four weeks.

 SO MANY WONDERFUL, GIVING PEOPLE have already given to Brooke. To provide her with care sitters in Huntington. In Huntington, just ONE WEEK of companion care COST US $1,250.00. AND SO MANY PEOPLE MADE THAT POSSIBLE SO SHE WAS HARDLY EVER ALONE AT ALL. IT HELPED SOOOOO MUCH AND SAYING THANK YOU CANNOT DO JUSTICE TO HOW HER FAMILY FEELS ABOUR THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO GAVE.

 We raised $3,843 which was AMAZING (the GoFundMe says we raised $4,770 but there are $983 that was not raised and the GoFunMe number is incorrect). After paying nearly 4 weeks for care sitters and providing for her needs in Huntington, our funds are now depleted, and we need approximately $4,000 more to provide a caregiver for Brooke for 3-4 days a week and to pay expenses that are not covered by her Medicare such as a telephone bill for a telephone for her nursing home room. She is so social and LOVES to talk on the phone. It cheers her more than anything. The phone is crucial to her happiness.

 She’s just so sweet and we want to make sure she properly acclimated to the nursing home life. And we have the sweetest helpers that this fund will pay for. When she is alone, she is scared and only knows that her tummy hurts. We just don’t want her to be alone during these first few weeks at the nursing home. We have found these sweet individuals who will rotate times with family members so she will have someone with her at a minimum of 4-5 hours each day as she gets used to her new environment.

WHY & WHAT TO GIVE

 We are asking that you please give -

$60 - pays for 1/2 day of companion care for Brooke

$100 - pays for 1 full day of companion care

$200 - will pay for 2 full days of companion care for her.

 Or any amount less or more will all go to pay for her companion care to get her acclimated to the nursing home and to not be fearful.

OUR SWEET FAMILY

 Just as a side note** Our Ford family is a very loving one but sadly an aging one. Her dad is not well himself. I now live approximately 5 hrs. away and 90% of her other first cousins have moved away as well. The majority of her aunts and uncles are now caring for themselves or their spouses due to age related conditions. Every one of us wants to be sitting beside her but the high majority of us are just unable because of health issues or because we moved far away. Please pray that we will be able to find the care she needs and be the care companions she needs at this time.

NO MATTER WHAT, PLEASE PRAY

 If you cannot give a penny, we ask for your prayers for healing for Brooke. We can’t bear the thought of not having her in our lives. She is afraid and we don’t want her to be alone. Please help us provide daily support for her so she will not be so afraid.

Thank you,

Laura