Our sweet niece was born on Sunday, July 9th and we are full of Love, Joy, and Hope as we welcome her to the family! We wanted to start this fundraiser for our sister Rachel and her husband Stuart to help relieve immediate and future financial expenses as they walk a challenging journey. Here are the details about the current and unforeseen needs: In April of this year, Allyza was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, and life for the Benjamin family changed dramatically. There have been countless consultations, appointments, lengthy hospital stays and testing. The challenge with this diagnosis is that the future is very unpredictable. What we do know at this juncture is that Allyza will undergo multiple surgeries, some as early as this month. Although we are hopeful that insurance will cover most of the costs associated with these procedures, there are countless unknowns. The Benjamins have already accrued medical debt over the past year. In some cases, the best care for Allyza may be out-of-state and this would likely not be fully covered by their insurance. In addition to upcoming medical expenses, we hope to provide support for lost income when Stu is needed at the hospital as well as support the need for child care and groceries for the family staying at home. Additionally, as Stu and Rachel travel to and from doctor's visits and surgeries, there is the burden of travel expenses such as gas, accommodations, and meals on the go. This fund will also support the Bemjamins' monthly bills and living expenses for a time, simply to allow Stu and Rachel to focus on Allyza and the boys. More of Allyza's story from The Benjamin Family - July 21st, 2024: Our family has been through a lot these past few months, and with so many friends and family praying for us, I thought it was time for an update! First of all, our sweet baby girl, Allyza Grace was born Sunday, July 9th. As many of you know, in March of this past year we were told that our little girl had a bi-lateral clef palate along with some genetic abnormalities that pointed toward a fatal genetic disease. This was devastating news. We spent the next few months praying and praying. So many of you have prayed with us! Thank you. Let’s start with the praises, and then I can fill everyone in on the continuing prayer requests. Praise: *Labor was quick and easy (Thank you Jesus!!) *We were told she might not survive the birth – she did! *We were told she might not survive the hospital / NICU stay – she did! *We were told her kidneys might not work – they do! *We were told she might have a heart defect – her heart is healthy and fully functioning! *We were told she might have respiratory issues – she doesn’t! *We were told she would probably have significant trouble swallowing and sucking – she doesn’t! *We were told that her brain looked small on the ultrasound – now we’re being told her brain looks normal *We were told with the diagnosis AND the clef palate she would probably go home with a feeding tube – she doesn’t have a feeding tube! She is a rock star with that bottle! The doctors and nurses were continually amazed as each day passed in the NICU and she ate more and more. She is continuing to gain weight! Prayer Requests: *The bloodwork confirmed a diagnosis of Trisomy 13. This is a devastating diagnosis and the doctors are not hopeful. HOWEVER, the more we learn about this disease, the more we realize there are a lot of unknowns. We are being told that we are in the ‘rare of the rare’ category…so no one really knows what this diagnosis looks like for Allyza. We want to continue to pray for absolute healing. We know that God is able to do that. *Wisdom and Discernment – we have a lot of specialist appointments coming up, with a lot of decisions to be made. We are in desperate need of God’s divine wisdom. *Hearing – there are some questions about her hearing. We are in the process of obtaining more testing. We would like prayer for her ears to be fully functional. *Kidneys – although her kidneys are working great right now, they want to continue to monitor them to make sure that they continue to function correctly. We’re praying that they do. *Weight gain – We need her to continue to eat well and keep gaining weight *Respiratory – We are praying for no respiratory issues to develop. *Perseverance – This is truly a daily walk of faith -and most days it’s very overwhelming. Stu and I could use prayer for daily strength and perseverance. We just want to thank everyone for the text messages, the phone calls, the gifts, the meals, the financial donations – Thank you! Thank you! I apologize that I haven’t been able to answer all the calls or respond to all the gifts. Please know that it is all very much appreciated. I will do my best to continue to post more updates in the weeks and months to come. Thank you again for the prayers and support. We believe that God has a plan and a purpose for our little girl's life. We don't know how long that may be or exactly what that looks like. BUT we do know that she is a gift, and we are grateful for every day with her. We also know that God alone numbers our days, and He alone will determine what she can and cannot do. Thank you for standing with us as we trust in Him alone. ~ Love, Stu and Rachel
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