Grayson is a beautiful, generous, kind, and loving little boy. He truly has a heart of gold! He loves to play sports, ride his bike, wrestle with his brother, go fishing, and run outside, like any other 8-year-old boy!!

In June of ’22, when he was just 6 years old, Grayson started experiencing mid to low back pain. He was taken to a chiropractor and had X-rays done that showed scoliosis. He started orthopedic physical therapy with a therapist that specializes in scoliosis in Sioux Falls, massage, and regular chiropractic visits.

Grayson was involved in a serious car accident in September of ’23, when he was 7, that resulted in an ER visit where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. After several weeks of physical rest and therapy to help with the PTSD, Grayson was back to normal. Or so we thought. His back pain slowly became worse and worse.

The orthopedic doctor in Sioux Falls decided it was time to order an MRI to gauge the severity of Grayson’s scoliosis. While the MRI showed that his scoliosis was manageable and not as severe as expected, there were other findings that were severe. It was discovered that Grayson has a tethered spinal cord and a perineural cyst on his sacrum that measures 3.5cm x 2.5cm, which is considered huge and very dangerous for a 54 lb, 8-year-old.

The perineural cyst is filled with cerebrospinal fluid and if ruptured, could paralyze and possibly even kill Grayson. If left untreated, the cyst and the tethered cord could lead to numbness and tingling in the legs and feet (which he is already starting to experience), loss of bladder and bowel control, bone deterioration, and even paralysis.

Grayson needs surgery in order to manage, and hopefully correct, his spinal condition. There are only 4 surgeons in this country that will even consider touching this cyst, let alone the cyst AND the tethered cord in one surgery. One such doctor is in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Feigenbaum. Grayson’s parents have been in touch with this doctor. He has reviewed Grayson’s MRI and medical history. On Friday, November 1st, Grayson’s mom and Dr. F talked via phone about Grayson’s condition and the medical necessity of the surgery Grayson needs.

Grayson’s family needs your help in raising the money necessary to get the surgery scheduled and paid for. Insurance will not pay for this surgery. No emergency medical insurance will help either. Grayson and his parents will need to be in Dallas on a Sunday for check in, Monday for pre op physical and assessment, and surgery on a Tuesday. Post-op hospital stay is a minimum of 72 hours. They would have to stay in Dallas for another 7-10 days post-op for a surgical follow-up, at which time they would hopefully be cleared to drive home. That is a total of 2, and possibly 3, weeks in Dallas. Both parents will be missing work for this.

Grayson will not be allowed to do any bending, lifting, twisting, or physical activity for 12 weeks following surgery, and no school for 4-6 months. There is also the possibility that future surgeries will be necessary. One of the parents will be missing work during this time as well.

We realize it is really close to Christmas, but every little bit helps this family. It all adds up! Please consider donating what you can to help this beautiful little boy get the surgery he needs to continue to live a normal life. Thank you so much!