Supporting Emelienne
Meet Emelienne. Eme, as friends and family call her, made her grand entrance into the world on July 22, 2010. Little Eme was born with lambdoid craniosynostosis (posterior plagiocephaly) which is a condition where some sutures at the back of the skull have fused together. There are only 12 reported cases in the world. She will need a cranial renovation where the fused bone is removed and the skull is rebuilt into a normal shape.
Eme also has a hemifacial microsomia which is a congenital disorder affecting the development of the lower half of the face, most commonly the ears, the mouth and the jaw. Young Eme, only 5 months old, also has a cleft lip, congenital muscular torticollis (a fancy term for a condition in which the head is tilted to one side), a club foot, a malformed ear which is also hearing impaired, a malformed vertebrae resulting in a curve to the spine, a pelvic kidney and two holes in her tiny heart.
It’s overwhelming to know such a small baby can be plagued by so much. Luckily, most of Eme’s conditions can be corrected with surgeries, physical and occupational therapy, and the use of casts, hearing aids and other assistive devices, not to mention time. In fact, Eme will have her first major surgery on January 27, 2011 but it won’t be her last. Doctors estimate she could need up to a dozen major surgeries before graduating high school.
Eme has a whole lot of love and support in her corner, including us here at Bellani, unfortunately love and well wishes alone won’t pay for Eme’s medical bills. This is why we’re donating $25 from every New Moms Group participant’s registration fee to Eme and her family to assist with the very high cost of bringing baby Eme to being 100% healthy. If you know someone who is expecting, please let them know they can find amazing support at Bellani through our New Moms Group and tell them how they can make a difference in one little girl’s life.
Maybe you would just like to make a donation without taking a New Moms Group? Any amount is helpful to this family. Please click the link to donate today...