Support Kataleya's Journey to Healing and Hope

My name is Katherine. I am Kataleya’s mom. Kataleya was diagnosed with scoliosis when she was 6 years old.

She has been going to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Shreveport since she was 6 years old. We have tried traditional bracing efforts, and once my husband heard of a technique called red cord with physical therapy. We had Kataleya in physical therapy for over 2 years, sometimes twice a week. We saw some improvement in her curve and were enthusiastic. Wearing a brace for 23 hours a day can be daunting as well. Exhausting all efforts, her curve has increased significantly through her growth. The doctors think that she should have spinal fusion surgery.

We have had appointments with a doctor from Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia and also a doctor in New Orleans Children’s Hospital. All of the doctors are suggesting that Kataleya is in need of spinal fusion surgery. A doctor said that if we do not do this for Kataleya, we would be doing her a disservice.

We have done research on doctors and procedures, and Dr. Haber is one of a very few surgeons in the country that perform Vertebral Tether Cord surgery. We have an appointment scheduled for November 6th for surgery. The surgery will take all day, and we will be in New Orleans for 5 days during this time. We also have a pre-operative appointment scheduled for the 24th of October.

We are asking for any help you could contribute to help with the stay, travel, and recovery time for Kataleya. No amount is too small. After Kataleya’s surgery and when she is back at home, she will be in recovery for 4-6 weeks. I will be her caregiver. I will be taking a leave of absence from work and able to file for FMLA. I will not receive a full amount of pay, but every little bit counts! If you could help us with this chapter in Kataleya’s life and journey to healing, it would be most appreciated!