Update: Kiley is now in speech therapy and starting to swallow! We still have a long way to go but we’re celebrating the small successes.
Kiley is almost 1 years old and had an unexplained brain injury while in utero where she lost oxygen for a significant amount of time. She was born unable to suck or swallow. She was in Children’s hospital for 2.5 months before coming home, and while there, she had a tracheostomy and G-tube surgery. Because of the trach, we can’t even hear her cry, so she has to be on monitors when we sleep. Kiley has been in physical and occupational therapies the last couple of months, since being home, with little progress. She developed infantile spasms (like seizures) shortly after coming home and that put her even further behind in her development so now with the spasms gone, we’re looking into other treatments and therapies that could help her. We’re still longing to see her smile and hear her laugh. She doesn’t reach for toys and still struggles to hold her head up for more than a couple minutes.
We spoke with an amazing doctor in Texas that specializes in treating neurological injuries similar to Kiley’s and has worked with many babies, children, and even adults with successful results! It’s called red light laser therapy, and it’s an intense, multiple-week therapy program, 4 hours each day. Each week-long treatment costs $10,000 and insurance doesn’t cover any of it, so we really need your help! If we reach our goal, we will be able to travel to Texas so Kiley can receive her therapy!
Many children have started swallowing, eating by mouth, and removing the trach and G-tube with this treatment program, and the doctor is very enthusiastic and hopeful for Kiley as well!
Thank you so much for your donation and your continued prayers.
