The family of a nine-month-old Bowden girl with a rare medical condition hopes money can be raised to assist with costs associated with surgery she needs in the United States.
Alexis Ross (Teuling) was born with cloacal malformation that causes the rectum, genital tract and urinary tract to merge into one exit out of the body. Within days of her birth a Calgary surgeon performed a colostomy and put a catheter in her bladder. Surgery in the U.S. will hopefully eliminate her need for colostomy and urostomy bags.
Sara Teuling, who wants to get the word out about a Go Fund Me account for her niece, said her sister Annamarie was told there’s a 20 per cent chance the surgery will work.
“Annamarie wants to give her that chance. Twenty per cent chances are better than nothing,” said Teuling.
“If not, than she has to live with a both a colostomy bag and urostomy bag for the rest of her life.”
The surgery must be done before Alexis turns a year old at the end of October.
She said the surgeon at Alberta Children’s Hospital said Alexis has a better chance at success if she goes to the Columbus, Ohio where the surgeon there has more experience with such complicated cases.
The Calgary surgeon is applying for government funding on behalf of the family to cover the cost of transportation and the surgery.
But accommodation costs for Annamarie will not covered and that’s why the Go Fund Me account was set up. The goal is to raise $5,000.
Annamarie was working as a farm hand in the Innisfail area before she went on maternity leave which has been extended for six months so she can care for Alexis.
Teuling said the condition did not show up in ultrasounds before her niece was born and Alexis had to spend the first few months of her life in hospital. During that time she also required surgery on her trachea for another rare condition.
“For her to have two medical conditions that are very rare, she kind of got hit with a double whammy.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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