Help Liya

"When it rains, it pours. Right now, it's pouring."

A teacher I work with recently started a GoFundMe for a project she was working on. I had never heard of GoFundMe, so I checked it out. It sounded like a neat idea (people basically give you money with the click of a mouse... very simple fundraising idea), but it also sounded like a ripoff (a little over 8% is taken for "processing").

The whole purpose of this website is to try to spread some joy, some inspiration, to uplift people. So I thought, "why not look for some good cause to raise money for." I work with a woman named Shannon (Stidham) Blumenthal. Her husband had some major medical issues last month. They spend quite a bit of time at the hospital. It was very stressful for her. On top of that, she has a young daughter, Aaliyah, who is about to undergo some major surgeries.

So we are running a fundraiser for Liya. Their family has been through a lot. Shannon didn't ask me to do this. I just know her little girl is going through a lot, and I thought the "Just Win Today" family (growing by the day!) could lend a hand.

Go to the FUNDRAISER tab and just click the DONATE button at the top of that page. It's that simple. Our site charges about half (4%) of what the "professional" fundraising sites charge.

These are Shannon's words, to help you get a better understanding of what is going on:

Aaliyah was born January 3, 2010 and shaken when she was 16 days old. This resulted in a brain bleed.

We met her when she was a month old when we became her foster parents. She was on medication for seizures and was having trouble eating. She eventually got a g-tube placed to help her gain weight and in preparation for her cranial surgery when she was a year old.

The first few years was a blur of doctor appointments, therapy appointments, and birth parent meetings at the children's division. Though we rushed from one thing to the next, at night I was the momma that got to cuddle her and pray over her. The future was obscure, but I wanted Liya to feel loved, fiercely loved, and safe.

We were able to adopt Liya when she was 21 months old. She is beautiful and vivacious. She is spunky and full of personality. She has already defied odds and predictions of many in white coats. Some didn't believe she would ever walk.

Liya has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and partial complex seizure disorder, though she doesn't have active seizures at this time. She has global developmental delays. Liya has cognitive delays that impact her ability to process information. She has significant communication and language delays. She uses a communication device called a Nova chat. Liya knows close to 150 ASL signs. She has gross and fine motor delays. Her fine motor skills impact everything from getting dressed, eating, drinking, writing, and playing.

Though her needs are varied and complex, the most pressing issue at this time is her compromised gait pattern. Her legs are both rotating inward causing a scissoring pattern. Her balance is affected and she is falling a lot. She had a gait study done in October. She had a CT scan done this week. Her team is considering a few different surgeries to address her challenges. She is fatiguing earlier than normal because she is expending so much energy to make her body work. We shortened her school day to help deal with her being so tired. She wears AFOs (leg braces), has had multiple rounds of serial casting, and botox injections. Her doctors and therapists now believe that we have done everything we can to help from the outside of her body and now need to take the next step to address her needs.