Many of you know Griffinn Gower, his sister Shaughnessey and his mom Kelli Connors.

Between Kelli and her kids, Shaughnessey and Griffinn, there is pretty much no theatre job they can’t do—directing, acting, lighting and costume design—you name it. Together, they have helped bring incredible stories to life on Seacoast stages.

In February, their family life suddenly took an unimaginable turn.

After experiencing flu-like symptoms, Griffinn developed tiny red dots across his torso. Within days they spread rapidly across his entire body. What followed was a frightening sequence of emergency room visits, dermatology consultations, extensive blood work, and skin biopsies.

Griffinn was diagnosed with PLEVA (Mucha-Haberman disease)—an extremely rare condition, with only about 80 documented cases worldwide. PLEVA occurs when the immune system, often after an illness, deposits white blood cells into the skin, triggering severe inflammation, lesions, blisters, and ulcers.

Treatment requires massive intravenous doses of steroids and intensive topical care. At times the pain has been so severe that even drinking water or eating becomes unbearable — let alone showering or moving around.

Because the condition is so rare, Griffinn’s care is being overseen by a specialized dermatology team two hours away at Dartmouth Hitchcock.

After about two weeks in the hospital, Griffinn was sent home—but it quickly became clear that caring for him there was nearly impossible. The process of applying ointments, wrapping bandages, and managing the pain takes hours and must be repeated several times each day. With no home-care support plan in place and Kelli expected to be the sole caregiver, they made the difficult decision to return to Dartmouth.

While there, doctors also discovered severe inflammation reflected in Griffinn’s liver enzymes. They believe Griffin has developed HLH, another extremely rare condition. Among the already rare cases of Mucha-Haberman disease, only one other documented case worldwide has presented alongside HLH.

As of today (March 14) they are awaiting transfer to Brown Hospital / Rhode Island Burn Center in Providence.

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This frightening and complicated illness has changed life for the entire family.

Kelli needs to remain by Griffinn’s side while he receives care two hours from home. To do this, she must take leave from her work at Noble High School and decline the artistic contracts that normally supplement their income. (And, as if this weren’t enough, their dog Mischief is diabetic and also requires care.)

Those who know Griffinn, Shaughnessey, and Kelli know this:

they are incredibly kind, ethical, hardworking human beings.

Now they need our help.

Funds raised through this campaign will support:

Any contribution will help ease the enormous stress they are facing—and remind them that their friends and colleagues and co-creators are standing right beside them.

Thank you.