LOVE FOR LIAM

Hello My Friends,

I am setting this fundraiser up for my Grandson, Liam, with high hopes that you will kindly consider helping this little guy out.

Liam Douglas Murphy is an 8-month-old baby boy who was born with a rare condition called "Thumb Hypoplasia," meaning he has two non-functional thumbs due to him missing the muscles and tendons in them.

Hypoplasia occurs in about 1 in 100,000 infants, the cause is unknown, but the condition has been associated with several genetic syndromes.

Liam has been through quite a few testing procedures in the past 8 months, from numerous tubes of bloodwork for genetic testing, to x-rays, ultrasounds, cat scans, EKGs, and occupational therapy. Odds were against Liam with the syndromes and health issues that come along with Hypoplasia, but he's beaten them all so far. He has a few more tests to get done before we get an official answer, but as of now, we are being told this is more likely a birth defect than anything genetic.

Eli and Bristi are seeking to give their child the best quality of life that they can. They found the best orthopedic hand surgeon in the country, at Boston Children's Hospital, in Boston MA. He will be undergoing two surgeries this upcoming summer. The surgery he is getting done is called a "pollicization." They will be removing his thumbs and moving his index fingers over to make him new thumbs so that he can grasp things, write, play sports, and in general, be independent just as everyone else is, with only 8 fingers. Our little warrior still has a long road ahead of him.

Liam otherwise, is a perfectly normal bouncing baby boy, and quite literally, because this child LOVES to bounce. He is such a happy baby and he can brighten anyone's day with his smile and raspy little voice. His personality gets bigger and brighter each week. He loves to watch Sesame Street and clap his hands along to his favorite song "Letter of the Day." His parents want to see him continue to grow, be happy, and be able to do fun things on his own.

Eli, Bristi, and Liam will be flying to Boston several times this year and with flights, hotel stays, overnight hospital stays, rental cars, and all the other expenses that come along with these trips, they can tend to add up quickly. With that being said, if you could please help Liam and his parents get through this unfortunate time and help them in their endeavors to give Liam a lifelong and healthy future.

No Donation Is Too Small When It Comes From The Heart