Support Madelines Stem Cell Journey

                                       MOVE MOUNTAINS FOR MADELINE BY SUPPORTING HER STEM CELL THERAPY
 
    While many 4-year-old children start their days with breakfast, cartoons and playtime, Madeline eats her first meal of the day during her early morning ride to a therapy session.   Our little girl’s days are filled with therapy sessions and trips to multiple doctors’ appointments. Due to her specialized condition, some appointments are local, and some are a plane ride away.  As a result of her significant gross motor, fine motor and speech delays, the little amount of free time she does have looks quite different than her peers. Madeline doesn’t find enjoyment in normal activities for kids her age.  Simple things like playing with toys, working on a puzzle or even playing make believe are not possible because her brain simply doesn’t work that way….yet.  Instead of winding down each evening by learning how to properly brush her teeth, Madeline needs to be held down by one parent while the other one brushes.  This may sound like a kid who simply doesn’t behave, however that assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.  This behavior is related to an inability of her sensory system to tolerate the feeling of a toothbrush in her mouth.  As you could imagine, Madeline’s biggest frustration is her inability to express herself in a way that other people, including her own family, can understand.  Because she has been diagnosed with both Autism and apraxia, a motor planning disorder, verbal communication is extremely difficult.   Despite all of this, Madeline remains to be a positive and extremely happy little girl.  Due to her amazing strength, she relentlessly pushes herself every day in the hope to make her current world a distant memory. 
 
    By the age of three, Madeline was attending 32 hours of therapy sessions per week in addition to her 10 hours of preschool.  She has undergone multiple surgeries and has been diagnosed with several disorders / conditions explaining her developmental delays.  Her primary diagnosis is Autism.  Given Madeline’s therapy schedule and treatment plan, putting my career on hold became a must.  As her mom, I wanted to be there every step of the way and provide every single opportunity for her to reach her full potential.
 
    Despite our steadfast commitment to her physical and cognitive development, her progress has been slow.  We are tirelessly looking for opportunities to give Madeline the best chance at a normal life.  Our search has led us to Stem Cell Therapy, which involves using stem cells harvested from the cord and placentas of healthy born babies.   After reading multiple clinical studies from high profile universities like Duke, along with talking to numerous doctors and parents in similar situations, many of our hopes for Madeline seem very possible using Stem Cell treatments.  We are very optimistic that with multiple rounds of treatments, along with continued intense therapy, we will see the efforts of Madeline’s hard work start to pay off. Unfortunately, Stem Cell Therapy comes at a significant cost, which is currently not offset by health insurance.  Having already spent tens of thousands of dollars on continuous therapies and visits to her doctors, we find ourselves in a financial situation where the funds for stem cell treatment simply aren’t there. One Stem Cell Treatment, along with the required intensive therapy, comes at a cost of $12,000.  Based on discussions with families currently utilizing stem cells, we know that one round of treatment will not result in a cure or even provide Madeline with the maximum benefits.  Our goal is simple; to give Madeline the very best shot at one day having normal life where she can be a contributing member of society and have lasting friendships. To have any chance of realizing this dream, she will have to undergo multiple treatments.
 
    Throughout this journey we have heard stories about hundreds of incredibly kind and generous people who have been instrumental in assisting with the treatment of many children with the same challenges as our little girl.  It is because of these stories that we made this humbling decision to ask for help as well.  This is a moment that each parent has experienced.  A moment to swallow your pride and ask for the help you need to give your child an opportunity to be the best person he or she could be.  It is with this spirit that we ask for your help in raising the funds required for Madeline to receive this Stem Cell Therapy. Our goal is to raise $60,000 to provide a minimum of five rounds of treatment for Madeline.  We know it is going to require an incredible amount of donations to make this goal a reality.  We hope you will consider even a small donation as every dollar makes a difference.  Please know that all support is incredibly appreciated.  Lastly, we hope you will consider sharing our little girl’s story with your network as well.  Only by sharing Madeline’s story will we be able to make this type of grass roots effort a success.  Thank you for taking the time to read about Madeline’s journey.  In addition, thank you for any support that you can offer in our time of need.