Wyatt the Warrior

Wyatt has been a warrior since the day he was born. Born three months premature and weighing only 2 pounds, Wyatt has battled through countless procedures and surgeries. At first, we thought that Wyatt's cerebral palsy, seizures, and low vision were caused from his prematurity. As Wyatt got older, however, his symptoms got progressively worse, which prompted doctors to do genetic testing. In November of 2016, Wyatt was diagnosed with Coats Plus Syndrome. It is an extremely rare genetic syndrome that was actually the cause of his prematurity. Because of the syndrome, Wyatt developed calcifications in his brain. These calcifications cause his seizures, his increased muscle tone, and his poor speech. The syndrome is progressive, which means his symptoms will only continue to get worse. The syndrome also causes his bones to be extremely fragile. In July of 2016 Wyatt broke his right leg. It was very slow to heal, but he began walking the next summer. In August of this year, Wyatt rebroke his leg in the same place. Not knowing what to do next, his doctor sent us to Shriner's Hospital for Children. We spent a week on the research floor where doctors, therapists, and researchers looked into Coats Plus Syndrome and the effect it has on his bones. They determined that the best solution is to do surgery and put an external fixator on his leg. They are also going to do bone and skin biopsies. At this time, we do not receive any assistance for Wyatt. The cost of doctors appointments, travel, and all of the expenses that come with it has had a major impact on our family. My husband had to take an unpaid week off of work to be able to go to Shriner's for the week of research. At this time, we are wanting to raise money to help us out with the week we were at Shriner's. We are also hoping to cover the expense of being at Shriner's for his surgery and recovery. After the surgery, Wyatt will have therapy and a weekly trip to St. Louis for follow up appointments. In addition to that, we anticipate expenses for travel to specialists in other states and treatments the doctors may use to slow the progression of his syndrome down. We are blessed with so many people who offer their love and support. We can't say thank you enough. It's because of the love and support, that we are able to make it through these times. Wyatt is definitely a warrior. His strength and bravery leaves us in awe every day.