Update: 5/12/25. Day 30: A little more defeated but up and walking. Another potential discharge day comes and goes as we still can’t figure out if Maddy has gone into remission and if the treatment she has received has been enough. Some feel she has improved others are not so convinced (me included). Neurologist still doesn’t know if the risk of setting her up for plasmapheresis out weighs the benefits she would receive. We are frustrated playing this day to day game.

Maddy is going to miss her class field trip tomorrow. She misses her friends, her home, her dogs. She has projects for 4-h she is wanting to work. Being her ever lasting cheerleader has been my greatest challenge yet. We try to keep motivating her everyday.

PT was able to get her out of bed and walking a few steps down the hall. She’s still very weak and tires easily. She discovered she likes the frappes in the lobby. So we try to motivate work with rewards. And maybe a sneaky trip with the dogs one day soon.

Update 5/3/25

We are deeply grateful for your generous donation to help our sweet Maddy. Your support means more than words can express during this incredibly difficult time.

We wanted to share a few updates with you. With your help, we’ve been able to get Maddy a walker for the moments when she has the energy to stand or move short distances. She’s also been fitted for a wheelchair and is trying out different models to find the best fit—something lightweight and easy to transport, as she tires quickly and will rely on it daily.

We recently met with her school to plan the best accommodations for the last few weeks she may be able to attend. It’s important to us that Maddy stays connected with her classmates in a way that’s safe and manageable for her.

At home, one of our biggest challenges is navigating the many stairs while helping her maintain some level of independence. Your support is helping us look at ways to adapt and create a safer, more accessible environment for her.

Thank you again for standing with us. Your generosity is making a real difference in Maddy’s life, and we’re endlessly grateful.

Maddy needs our help.

Our brave 11-year-old, Madison, has been battling Guillain-Barré Syndrome since 2018. After years of recovery, she recently suffered a relapse following the flu—and is currently still hospitalized.

This relapse has made it difficult for Maddy to stand or walk, and she’s experiencing the heartbreaking loss of her independence. Simple things—getting out of bed, moving around the house, or playing like other kids—are now out of reach.

She’ll begin monthly immunotherapy infusions that require overnight hospital stays. And when she’s finally able to come home, she’ll need special equipment and in-home support to help her adjust and rebuild her strength.

Her family is doing everything they can—but they can’t do it alone.

Please consider donating to help cover the costs of on going treatment, recovery, and the tools Maddy needs to feel like herself again. She will need a new wheelchair, safety railings on all stairs, tub transfer chair, a walker and adaptive tools for daily living. And please share her story to reach others who might help.

Let’s show Maddy she’s not alone in this fight—and help her reclaim her independence.