This GoFundMe has been set up for the family of Brad and Amanda Simmons as their oldest son, Oakley, will be undergoing brain surgery on February 17 for Chiari Malformation.

Oakley has been dealing with some health issues for quite some time, but within the last several months, his symptoms have progressively been getting worse. On November 24th, his morning consisted of having 4 sedated MRIs. Before he even left recovery, he was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation and a Syrinx (or Syringomyelia) inside his spinal cord.

For those not familiar with Chiari Malformation, it is a structural defect at the base of the skull opening that causes part of the brain to extend into the spinal canal. The brain tissue that extends down into the spinal canal begins to block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF - the fluid that protects your brain & spine), leading to pressure on your brain, nerves, and spinal cord. A Syrinx is a fluid-filled cyst that can begin to form in the spinal cord due to the CSF blockage, which also compresses the nerves and can cause permanent damage.

On February 17th, Oakley will undergo Chiari Decompression with Expansile Duraplasty Surgery, which is a fancy way to say the surgeon will remove a small piece of skull bone and open the outer membrane of the brain to place a patch and expand that space to create enough room and restore normal CSF flow, resulting in reduced pressure on the nerves.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Chiari Malformation, and there will always be a chance of recurrence. However, they (Brad, Amanda, and Oakley's doctor) are hopeful this will alleviate his symptoms and prevent further damage to his nerves and spinal cord.

All of our hearts are hurting for Oak. We just want him back to his happy, fun, loving self as soon as possible.

We are SO thankful that we finally have answers to his symptoms and we are ready to conquer this!

Brad and Amanda both will be taking time off work to care for Oakley after surgery. This, along with medical bills, puts a huge financial strain on their family, which is why this GoFundMe has been organized. (A VERY SMALL portion of the donations go back to GoFundMe, but a large majority stays with Brad and Amanda.)

Above all, your thoughts and prayers are GREATLY appreciated as the Simmons family approaches surgery day and the weeks after.