Help Venessa fight Chiari Malformat

My name is Donna Patermo and  those who know me well know about my granddaughter Vanessa and her medical problems since she was born 11 months ago.  She will now be having brain surgery to relieve the pressure that’s being caused from diagnosis of Chiari malformation. The surgery is scheduled for June 14 at Mass General Hospital in Boston. This is Vanessa’s story below.

 Vanessa Donna Crooker was born June 6, 2017 to my daughter Lyndsay.  She was born five weeks early due to a complication of partial placental abruption. At two weeks of age Vanessa was diagnosed with a large hole in the upper chambers of her heart but we were told that if it didn’t close by age three she could have surgery to close it and other than that she was a healthy baby.  Then at the age of one month she started developing respiratory symptoms that appeared to be like asthma but after several work ups and procedures she was diagnosed with tracheal bronchial and laryngeal  Malacia as well as a cleft in her larynx.  Because of this diagnosis she endured several minor surgeries by the time she was seven months old. 4 scopes under anesthesia, a CT Scan and a MRI. Due to the underlying issue she has suffered  8 aspiration pneumonia’s and a few hospitalizations. The cleft in her larynx was repaired but did not resolve her symptoms, they became worse causing her to only be able to drink thickened liquids.  A recent MRI revealed that she suffers from a condition known as  Chiari malformation. It is a genetic disorder in which her brain extends beyond her skull and essentially is compressed between the hole at the bottom of her skull and her first vertebrae of her
spine.  The surgery that she is having is intricate and difficult to explain but it will be the first of a few and hopefully will alleviate some of the potential consequences of this disease. 
 Lyndsay has another child named Ella who will be two on July 6. Lyndsay works full-time as a nursing assistant  with hopes of going to nursing school in the future.  However with Vanessa‘s current diagnosis it has created an incredible hardship for her, more than even our family can handle. This is what led me to the decision to create a go fund me. The funds from this account will help Lyndsay be able to be there for Vanessa and to cover some of the expenses for whatever Vanessa may need after surgery and in the future. Any will help even a prayer. Included below are a few links listed to learn more about Chiari malformation, trachea laryngeal bronchial  malacia, cleft larynx and her ASD of her heart.  Please feel free to contact me via Facebook or email or through this go fund me if you have any questions thank you for your support. 



https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Chiari-Malformation-Fact-Sheet


https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001084.htm

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/3188/laryngeal-cleft

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000157.htm