Mary Jane Postiglione

Harper has always been a bright light — joyful, resilient, compassionate, and full of hope, even in the face of unimaginable challenges. This winter, Harper was diagnosed with an extremely rare and complex form of epilepsy on top of other brain abnormalities. After months of worsening symptoms, countless tests, emergency room visits, and trying medication after medication with not much success, our family has now reached a heartbreaking and overwhelming point: Harper needs major brain surgery in New York. In the coming weeks, we will travel with her to New York, where one of the nation’s leading surgeons in complex neurological cases will use groundbreaking technology to map and test her brain stem in hopes of finding the source of her seizures and neurological symptoms. Harper will undergo three separate brain procedures during this surgery, including removal of areas of her skull and vertebrae. This is not only frightening — it is life-changing. Over the past year, Harper has endured a seizure severe enough to require life-saving intervention. She lives daily with numbness, tingling, crushing fatigue, excruciating headaches, weakness, and pain that pulses through her head when she laughs, stands, or exerts herself. Her vision loss and pain has been extreme the past several weeks. She lost her driver’s license in the fall after her grand mal seizure, much of her independence, and so many pieces of what should be a carefree junior year. And yet somehow… she still smiles. Unless there’s an AP test the next morning. :) If you know Harper, you know her determination is unmatched. Even now, facing brain surgery and a recovery expected to take 6–12 months, she is already talking about getting strong enough to return for senior year and, yes, a packed schedule. Her summer will be filled with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and relearning parts of daily life — including learning to walk steadily again. But Harper has never stopped dreaming and has never once asked "Why me?" Her closest friends don't even know what she has been battling. She dreams of college. Of independence. Of becoming a doctor one day and caring for pediatric patients with the kind of empathy only someone who has truly suffered can give. Harper’s story has always been extraordinary. She even started a ministry to help kids like her. She was adopted from China at 18 months old and underwent open-heart surgery at just four years old and may need an additional heart surgery in the future. She battled severe infantile idiopathic scoliosis, wearing a brace nearly every hour of the day and night for eight years. She has undergone anesthesia more than 20 times for surgeries and procedures, and her severe asthma and allergies have led to countless medical scares and ER visits over the years. We were once told that if Harper had remained in China, she likely would not have lived to see her fifth birthday. But God had other plans. Despite every obstacle placed in front of her, Harper, now 17, continues to fight with courage, grace, humor, and faith. We have tried to fill her life with joy and love through every difficult season because we have never taken a single day with her for granted. Now, as we prepare for this next chapter, we are asking for help. The financial burden of this emergency surgery and extended recovery is overwhelming. Between medical expenses, travel, lodging in New York for several weeks, physical and emotional therapies, and time away from work, we are facing costs far beyond what we can manage alone. We have been down this path before with over 150K of medical bills, but this time we need help and just want to be there for our daughter without being stressed over the financial piece too. Most of all, we ask for your prayers. Please pray for Harper’s surgeon, for wisdom and protection during this high risk surgery, and for healing in the difficult months ahead. Pray for Harper as she faces an extremely painful surgery and difficult recovery ahead. Pray for her mind in the hardest moments, peace over fear and anxiety, comfort through the pain and complete healing in the months to come. Pray that this surgery will finally bring relief and give Harper the future she has fought so hard for. Pray for her sister, Talia, who is so worried she may lose her that she has been unable to sleep and function normally. Pray for strength for our whole family as we walk this together. We believe God is already making a way through what feels impossible. Thank you for loving our girl alongside us. And if you feel led to support Harper financially, no gift is too small. To protect her privacy, we have chosen to share only the pieces of her story she feels comfortable sharing. We are deeply grateful for every prayer, message, share and act of support during this difficult season. Much love, Mary Jane & Todd “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” — Ephesians 3:20