Support the Shawver Family
Donation protected
Help us show Megan, Olivia, and Sophia that they are loved and cared for especially during their difficult times and trials. Megan is a strong, single working mother. Please help us lessen her financial responsibilities so that she can just concentrate being a great mom.
Here is Sophia's story from her Mom:
Sophia is my special angel. She was born with a congenital brain defect called Miller-Dieker Syndrome. Her brain never developed all the way, so it has no folds like a normal brain has, which means it doesn't communicate correctly with her body. This defect means she will never function like a normal child. She is unable to walk, talk, feed, or even breath normally. Sophia has had a feeding tube since she was 4 months old and was put on oxygen 24/7 when she was less than 2. Along with these complications she also has seizures, which are hard to control. We had been very fortunate to have had 3-4 years of pretty stable health for her, with minimal hospital stays. In 2016 Sophia had to be taken to the ER 5 times due to seizures that were unable to be stopped at home with emergency medicine. In the later part of 2016 she was hospitalized 3 times due to respiratory issues and pneumonia. This last hospitalization caught us while visiting family for the holidays in Indiana. She was admitted on Christmas Eve 2016 and continues to be hospitalized due to respiratory complications. This hospitalization has been by far the longest, most severe, and difficult we have ever experienced. During our stay the doctors discovered a tooth in her lungs, which must have fallen out and she aspirated. The infection in her lungs that brought us to the hospital was caused by this tooth. They are unable to remove the tooth without cutting part of her lung out. This incident also brought her baseline respiratory status below where it was when we entered the hospital. She is unable to breath correctly on her own without the support of a machine. Due to this Sophia was transported to Atlanta on February 1st so that her doctors can perform a tracheostomy, so that she can be brought home with a ventilator. This intervention has been discussed with her doctors before and I always knew it was something we would likely need one day, but it was such a hard decision to make. Once the surgery is completed she will be able to come home hopefully within 4-6 weeks. The tracheostomy and vent at home requires lots of training at the hospital and extra care at home. I'm very thankful to have family and friends who have reached out to me to offer their support. I'm truly grateful for their compassion.
Here is Sophia's story from her Mom:
Sophia is my special angel. She was born with a congenital brain defect called Miller-Dieker Syndrome. Her brain never developed all the way, so it has no folds like a normal brain has, which means it doesn't communicate correctly with her body. This defect means she will never function like a normal child. She is unable to walk, talk, feed, or even breath normally. Sophia has had a feeding tube since she was 4 months old and was put on oxygen 24/7 when she was less than 2. Along with these complications she also has seizures, which are hard to control. We had been very fortunate to have had 3-4 years of pretty stable health for her, with minimal hospital stays. In 2016 Sophia had to be taken to the ER 5 times due to seizures that were unable to be stopped at home with emergency medicine. In the later part of 2016 she was hospitalized 3 times due to respiratory issues and pneumonia. This last hospitalization caught us while visiting family for the holidays in Indiana. She was admitted on Christmas Eve 2016 and continues to be hospitalized due to respiratory complications. This hospitalization has been by far the longest, most severe, and difficult we have ever experienced. During our stay the doctors discovered a tooth in her lungs, which must have fallen out and she aspirated. The infection in her lungs that brought us to the hospital was caused by this tooth. They are unable to remove the tooth without cutting part of her lung out. This incident also brought her baseline respiratory status below where it was when we entered the hospital. She is unable to breath correctly on her own without the support of a machine. Due to this Sophia was transported to Atlanta on February 1st so that her doctors can perform a tracheostomy, so that she can be brought home with a ventilator. This intervention has been discussed with her doctors before and I always knew it was something we would likely need one day, but it was such a hard decision to make. Once the surgery is completed she will be able to come home hopefully within 4-6 weeks. The tracheostomy and vent at home requires lots of training at the hospital and extra care at home. I'm very thankful to have family and friends who have reached out to me to offer their support. I'm truly grateful for their compassion.
Organizer and beneficiary
Cheryl Jowers
Organizer
Valdosta, GA
Megan Shawver
Beneficiary