Ella is a 4.5-year-old sassy, strong-willed, loving child. At 20 weeks, we discovered she had the most severe form of spina bifida. With little time to decide, we chose in-utero surgery, hoping to give Ella the best chance for physical success. However, at 25 weeks, complications arose, and Ella was delivered at just 1 lb 12 oz. Doctors said she wouldn’t survive and if she did, she wouldn’t have any quality of life.
Ella spent 5 months in the NICU, facing numerous complications, two of which nearly took her life. We even met with palliative care to discuss her survival, but Ella chose to fight and because of that, so have we! She was discharged just 2 weeks into the COVID pandemic and we weren’t sure how we were going to do it all.
Our family is blessed to call Ella ours! She has undergone 17 surgeries, including multiple brain, abdominal, and eye surgeries. We’ve endured sleepless nights in hospitals, nearly 1,000 therapy sessions, 100’ss of doctor’s appointments, and countless procedures in her 4 years. Our weeks are filled with therapies and appointments and with two other children at home and jobs to juggle, this routine is often exhausting and challenging. Medical costs have soared into the tens of thousands, despite good insurance. Ella’s vocabulary and physical abilities are limited, but that doesn’t stop her from making herself known! Despite the stress and financial strain, Ella’s perseverance, growth, and joy inspires us daily. She brings immense joy and has taught us to see life differently.
We’ve learned that sometimes, we need help on this crazy, beautiful journey. We recognize that without assistance, Ella would go without. We are incredibly touched and grateful for the Cameron Can Foundation and the blessing they are to our family!