#MariStrong - Mari's brain surgery fundraiser
Donation protected
I have started this fundraiser to help Sarah so she can focus on Mari and not worry as much about the financial impacts. This time is going to be hard enough for their family, they shouldn't have to worry about money during this time. As a single mother, Sarah will be missing time from work and has been told that their bill is already over $100k. Mari's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, March 3, 2020. Let's show as much love before his surgery as we can! If you are unable to contribute money, prayers are always appreciated. If you prefer to donate in another way, you can email gift cards to [email redacted]
Gift Card ideas: Walmart, DoorDash, Bite Squad, or any other food or meal delivery service.
From Sarah:
My son Jamari (Mari) started having seizures in July 2019. He was 15 at the time (turned 16 on New Year’s Eve) and was getting ready to start his sophomore year in high school. The first seizure happened while he was playing basketball in the driveway with his brother. At the time the doctors were concerned that this episode had something to do with his heart, and not a seizure. After extensive testing, they found his heart to be healthy and said it may have just been due to dehydration and some protein in his blood from extensive workouts. The second seizure was a tonic clonic seizure that happened while he was swimming at a friend’s swimming pool on August 31. His twin brother saved his life by reacting quickly and pulling him out of the water, with some help from his friends. Soon after, he saw a neurologist who diagnosed him with Epilepsy and started him on medication. He was then able to return to football and all normal activities.
Over the next few months he battled his epilepsy, all while trying to maintain a normal life. Following the 2019 football season, which he was determined not to miss, he went into the hospital for a 48-hour EEG test, where he had two more tonic clonic seizures. The doctors were able to tell from the results that his seizures were starting in the frontal lobe. His medications were adjusted to try to combat the cognitive impairment he was dealing with. Mari is typically a honors student, but was struggling to keep up with his schoolwork. Following the EEG, the neurologist also ordered a MRI to try to narrow down the details of what was causing his seizures.
We were not able to have the MRI done until February 19, 2020. On the 20th, the neurologist called to tell us that they saw a spot on the MRI that needed a closer look and that he would be referred to a neurosurgeon. The following Tuesday, while waiting for the neurosurgeon to schedule his appointment, Mari had a partial seizure. He had a difficult time recovering from this seizure. More than twelve hours later he had not gotten out of bed and kept telling me that his head felt heavy. Knowing that they saw something on the MRI, I called the neurosurgeon who requested that we take him to the ER. They then scheduled him a follow-up appointment right away. When we saw the neurosurgeon on Wednesday my worst fears were confirmed. My amazing, strong, handsome baby boy has a brain mass in his right frontal lobe. Due to the size, possible rapid growth, and swelling around the mass, the doctor told us that it needed to come out right away. He scheduled a craniotomy for the following Tuesday (March 3). We would need two more detailed MRI’s before that date and have been scrambling to get everything done in time. We also met with the pediatric oncologist, just in case. We won’t know what type of tumor he has until the pathology reports come back, about a week after surgery. Since then, he has gotten progressively worse. He cannot get rid of his headache and is sleeping more every day. Football is life for this kid, he will be devastated if he is unable or delayed in returning to the sport he loves and has worked so hard at. The rest of us want to see him healthy first and foremost. This has been a terrifying experience for my son, his twin brother, myself, and the rest of his family and community, and his struggle is only just beginning.
Gift Card ideas: Walmart, DoorDash, Bite Squad, or any other food or meal delivery service.
From Sarah:
My son Jamari (Mari) started having seizures in July 2019. He was 15 at the time (turned 16 on New Year’s Eve) and was getting ready to start his sophomore year in high school. The first seizure happened while he was playing basketball in the driveway with his brother. At the time the doctors were concerned that this episode had something to do with his heart, and not a seizure. After extensive testing, they found his heart to be healthy and said it may have just been due to dehydration and some protein in his blood from extensive workouts. The second seizure was a tonic clonic seizure that happened while he was swimming at a friend’s swimming pool on August 31. His twin brother saved his life by reacting quickly and pulling him out of the water, with some help from his friends. Soon after, he saw a neurologist who diagnosed him with Epilepsy and started him on medication. He was then able to return to football and all normal activities.
Over the next few months he battled his epilepsy, all while trying to maintain a normal life. Following the 2019 football season, which he was determined not to miss, he went into the hospital for a 48-hour EEG test, where he had two more tonic clonic seizures. The doctors were able to tell from the results that his seizures were starting in the frontal lobe. His medications were adjusted to try to combat the cognitive impairment he was dealing with. Mari is typically a honors student, but was struggling to keep up with his schoolwork. Following the EEG, the neurologist also ordered a MRI to try to narrow down the details of what was causing his seizures.
We were not able to have the MRI done until February 19, 2020. On the 20th, the neurologist called to tell us that they saw a spot on the MRI that needed a closer look and that he would be referred to a neurosurgeon. The following Tuesday, while waiting for the neurosurgeon to schedule his appointment, Mari had a partial seizure. He had a difficult time recovering from this seizure. More than twelve hours later he had not gotten out of bed and kept telling me that his head felt heavy. Knowing that they saw something on the MRI, I called the neurosurgeon who requested that we take him to the ER. They then scheduled him a follow-up appointment right away. When we saw the neurosurgeon on Wednesday my worst fears were confirmed. My amazing, strong, handsome baby boy has a brain mass in his right frontal lobe. Due to the size, possible rapid growth, and swelling around the mass, the doctor told us that it needed to come out right away. He scheduled a craniotomy for the following Tuesday (March 3). We would need two more detailed MRI’s before that date and have been scrambling to get everything done in time. We also met with the pediatric oncologist, just in case. We won’t know what type of tumor he has until the pathology reports come back, about a week after surgery. Since then, he has gotten progressively worse. He cannot get rid of his headache and is sleeping more every day. Football is life for this kid, he will be devastated if he is unable or delayed in returning to the sport he loves and has worked so hard at. The rest of us want to see him healthy first and foremost. This has been a terrifying experience for my son, his twin brother, myself, and the rest of his family and community, and his struggle is only just beginning.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Bauer
Organizer
Lugoff, SC
Sarah Bauer
Beneficiary
