Autumn Duggan Recovery Fund

Our name is Ryan and Sonya Duggan from Cleveland, Tn. We have 3 children....Koby; 12, Autumn; 11, and Ryan Jr.; 8. Our daughter Autumn was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008, at the age of 4. She had VP shunts put in her brain to drain the fluid that was putting pressure on her skull. Then, she underwent several brain surgeries to try and remove the tumor in the middle of her brain, which did not remove all of the cancer. Therefore, started a chemo treatment every week for fifteen months. Less than a year later the tumor came back which affected her vision, she has no vision in her right eye and very little on the left. Then, sadly, she had to endure another year of harsh chemo, which didn't affect the tumor at all! There wasn't anything else they could do for treatment here in Tennessee so we researched night and day for our daughter to have a chance to survive! In 2012 we packed up our family of 5 and drove to Houston, Tx to visit MD Anderson Cancer Center, they are rated one of the best hospitals in America! She underwent a 22 hour brain surgery at the age of 8, which by a miracle, the surgeons were able to get 95% of the tumor! Later, we were informed that she had lost a lot of blood and suffered a massive stroke leaving our precious daughter, who has fought cancer for so long, paralyzed on the left side! She endured Proton Radiation to her brain everyday for 6 weeks to kill the remaining 5%. Which in turn, damaged her pituitary gland that controls her hormones! We finally came home in 2013 after months of intense physical, occupational, and speech therapy which helped her regain some of her strength on the left side, enough to be able to walk with a brace on her own! At home she has had therapy every week for the next 2 years and still no movement of her left hand and left foot! We recently found out that Autumn in not able to produce growth hormones to help her grow and go thru puberty like the girls are at her age of 11! Unfortunately, our insurance, which had been great paying mostly 80-100% of her medical bills, recently informed us that her growth hormones are excluded from our plan...which will mean that we are responsible for paying $5000 per month for her growth hormones, for the next 2-4 years, which she has to have! Now, the doctors are wanting us to come back to Houston for therapy to the number 2 Rehab Facility for strokes in the nation in November 2015. we will have to stay there for 4-6 months depending on her progress! We have made it so far with generous donations from friends, family, and friends of friends, as well as golf tournaments every year! However, we don't have time to plan a golf tournament this year to help pay for the growth hormones, lodging in Texas, food, etc. we will be away from our boys and family but we've learned that hardships make u stronger and the little things are what matters! We want the best for our daughter and the best treatment possible for her to be able to live a normal life and eventually live independently when she becomes an adult! We have drained our 401k for the treatments and travel in the past, and do not qualify for Medicare or any other resources we've applied to get assistance, so some friends of ours suggested we try this site! Desperate times comes for desperate measures! It's so hard to not be able to provide for our family and we've worked so hard to keep afloat with all the traveling expenses back and forth to Houston for treatment! Please donate to help our daughter get the treatment she deserves! Anything will help! All the money will go into her savings account and will be used for the payment of her growth hormones, travel expenses, lodging, and food for our long trip to Houston away from our boys, friends, and supporting family for 4-6 months. We are a loving , Christian family and would go to great lengths to improve our children's lives! Anyone who knows Autumn with everything she's been through, knows she is the strongest and most courageous little girl with a bright future ahead of her! Please help in her recovery from what cancer has took from her all these years! Ryan and I are so grateful from the bottom of our hearts for any donation, even if it's only $1! We've tried so long to do this on our own, for the past 7 years, but we are at our breaking point! We have trusted in the Lord and know it is in his hands, things have a way of working out because of all the prayers and faith in Him! She wouldn't have survived this long without them! Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts!
With love,
Ryan and Sonya Duggan