Support Maia's Fight for Mobility and Health

I would like to tell you about our courageous granddaughter, Maia, born with a seizure disorder almost sixteen years ago.

In February 2024, 14-year-old Maia was rushed to the hospital from school with uncontrolled seizures. She spent several weeks undergoing extensive testing in the hospital. Her seizures stopped, but she lost the ability to walk. Maia was sent to a rehabilitation hospital where she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder. This means the connections from Maia’s brain to her nervous system are broken. By August, she had not regained her ability to walk and was referred to Mayo Clinic’s FND program. At the conclusion of the Mayo Program, she was still unable to walk. Despite these challenges, Maia has remained resilient. Maia was able to regain the use of her upper body and joined a sled hockey team where she made many new friends.

In March of 2025, Maia was again sent by ambulance to the hospital while having repeated seizure attacks. She became unresponsive, experiencing full body paralysis. Maia had to use her eyes and blink in order to communicate with family and medical staff. After a few days, Maia was put on a feeding tube and transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital. Maia is currently able to eat, speak, and has regained function in her right hand and arm. She still cannot move the rest of her body. The team at Lurie feels a specialized program in Texas is Maia’s best option for recovery.

To make matters worse, the family now has to pay for an expensive COBRA medical insurance policy due to a layoff during Maia’s hospitalization. Our family is asking for help with their COBRA premiums, medical bills, and travel expenses. We will do whatever is necessary to get Maia moving and walking again.