Savanna & Kaylee Morris

A Letter from Savanna & Kaylee Morris’ Mom
November 2012

Salutations! I am Nicole Morris, my husband Mike and I are blessed with three kids: Savanna and Kaylee; twin girls now 4 years old, and a son Ryder whom is 2.

We are applying for assistance for therapies because the twins were born 3.5months premature weighing 1100 grams, and 865 grams respectively. They both suffered inter-ventricular brain bleeds, and white matter brain damage, causing cerebral palsy in both of them.

Savanna has a more severe case, she has spastic high tone quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and white matter PVL damage. She is unable to sit unaided for long periods, cannot walk, or stand independently, and has vision impairment.

What we are so blessed though in that she is cognitively typical and speaking well for her age now…This allows her to take direction from therapists, and doing activities which is so wonderful.

She has trouble using her hands, is still in diapers, and cannot dress herself. Savanna has hip dysplasia, her left hip is out of its socket by 40% and her right is 35% out, we ar eloping to do more intensive therapies to remedy this, or if all else fails, go for surgery where they cut the bones, put them in the sockets, and screw them into place.

Savanna wears foot and ankle orthotics to keep her feet flat to assist her to not be on her toes when she does therapy in her walker, she will need a lengthening surgery in the new year of her tendons in her hips, hamstrings, knees, and ankles to release the spasticity that is causing the contractions and deformities of her limbs.

Kaylee had a more severe grade 4 brain bleed, as well as ventilation and tube feeding like Savanna. Kaylee had heart survey at three weeks old. She has low tone quadriplegic cerebral palsy, white matter PVL brain damage. She is developmentally delayed, but also talks and is cognitively within range of her age. Due to Kaylee’s stroke at birth she has vision impairment. Kaylee has fine and gross motor delay, hearing loss, is small for her age, thin, and loves to dance.

Ryder our final child was a full term happy healthy chatty boy, doing great. He shows Savanna that it is ok to crawl, and that he is still learning to do things just like her.

Because of the numerous appointments for both the twins I have been unable to go back to work, as well the cost of daycare for all three would be more than I could make per month.

We have been paying privately for many therapies, but unfortunately have maxed out our line of credit, and our credit cards again, and remortgaged twice in the past three years doing this. I wouldn’t turn to charities unless we really had to but, I just really am desperate for them to get better, that is why we are applying. Some of the therapies we have been doing and would like to continue if you were able to help us are: Conductive Education Therapy, Conductive Education Intensive Camps, Massage Therapy and Cranial Sacral, Anat Baniel Method, Horseback Riding, Physiotherapy, Special Needs Gymnastics, Neurofeedback Brain Stimulation, “The Listening Program”, Music Therapy.

I understand of course we do a lot, and there is no way your organization would cover all of these therapies, I am just so desperate to help and heal the twins so much that I would to anything and everything I think will help them. But it is just so important to me to get them at their highest function and living the best life that they possibly can. I understand early intervention is the best way to increase quality of life and prevent thousands of dollars of corrective surgeries later.

Thank you so very much for considering helping the twins, we are so grateful for any assistance you may provide.

Thank you so very kindly,

Nicole and Michael Morris