Dear Friends,

My name is Laura Ford Hall and first cousin Brooke Ford is in GREAT NEED OF YOUR PRAYERS AND HELP. She has cerebral palsy, and though she is an adult, sadly, mentally she is on the level of a toddler. She is hospitalized for the foreseeable future. SHE IS SERIOUSLY ILL AND WE NEED PRAYERS FROM ANYONE WHO WILL PRAY. She is suffering complications from Pancreatitis and has a severe pocket of infection in her Pancreas. She has been in the hospital or nursing home since April. She has become very agitated and is in great pain. WE ALSO NEED MONETARY HELP FOR HER FAMILY, WHO IS GOING TO HAVE TO STAY IN HUNTINGTON followed by LEXINGTON OR LOUISVILLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOND OF TIME while she is in the hospital. WE NEED MONETARY HELP TO HIRE COMPANION CARE SITTERS to stay in the hospital, because she can’t press the nurse call button. YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE A 3-YEAR-OLD ALONE IN A HOSPITAL. She just can’t be alone. HER DAD AND FAMILY NEED OUR SUPPORT AT THIS TIME. PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING. An average hotel stay is $100 per night. An hour of Companion Care is $20 - $25. EVERY DOLLAR HELPS. I am overseeing this fundraiser and can PROMISE that every penny given will go to assist Brooke and her needs and will mostly pay for Companion Care when her dad needs to go rest. PLEASE GIVE. You can read more about Brooke’s situation below.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU,

Laura

I am reaching out with a humble heart to again ask for your kindness, monetary support, and prayers for my first cousin, Brooke Ford. Brooke has cerebral palsy and, though she is an adult, she has the sweet innocence of a three-year-old. When she was well, she LOVED going to her dad’s church (he’s a minister), she LOVES singing hymns to God, and she LOVES talking on the phone. But our sweet Brooke has either been in the hospital or nursing home since April with Pancreatitis or complications from Pancreatitis.

Right now, she is very, very sick and is in the hospital because she has refused to eat. Because family, sitters and nurses have begged her to eat, she has barely eaten enough to survive. And doctors are talking about inserting a port for a feeding tube. But in the last two weeks she has only eaten a few handfuls of food. She refuses to get out of bed. She screams and cries, and throws a fit, if anyone simply touches her.

Because her mind is like a toddler’s, If she is in pain, she doesn’t understand how to tell us where. She doesn’t understand that she has to eat to survive. And she doesn’t know the great importance of walking. She will not be able to go back home if she cannot walk.

She also can’t hit a nurse call button if she needs someone. She needs a sitter with her at all times while in the hospital.

She has lost 57 pounds, her hair is falling out, and she simply knows that her tummy hurts. The doctors have discovered a pocket of infectious fluid in her pancreas. Soon, she will be undergoing procedures to drain the fluid. She will have a stent removed and replaced in her pancreas, and a potential surgery to remove her gallbladder. She also refuses to walk and has not walked since April. Through all of this, Brooke has faced her struggles with the same loving and sweet spirit she always carries.

Brooke’s daddy, my Uncle Billy Ford, is the minister at the Ferrell’s Creek Church of Christ and he has lovingly cared for her through every step of this journey. But this has been such a heavy burden for him to bear, so I have been helping raise money to help pay for things that aren’t covered by Medicare and Medicaid… such as the expenses of traveling back and forth to hospitals out of town, paying for hotel stays, and arranging for sitters to stay by Brooke’s side at the hospital when he cannot—it has all become overwhelming. Because Brooke doesn’t understand her illness, she needs extra reassurance. When she is in the hospital, she is fearful and needs a familiar face and a loving hand to comfort her, and she deserves to never feel lonely during this difficult time. She needs companion care.

This is why I am asking, with gratitude in my heart, for your help. Every single penny given will go directly toward Brooke’s care and needs—nothing will be wasted. Your generosity will help cover her family’s travel, lodging, and sitter expenses while she is in the hospital, giving Brooke’s father the strength and means to stay close to his little girl. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for considering a gift of love for Brooke. Your kindness will bring light to her hospital room and hope to our family in our greatest time of need.

With deepest thanks and love,

Laura