There’s a very special UofL fan that needs your help. She has no voice, for she cannot talk. She cannot get up and get what she wants, for she cannot walk. She cannot even really move and she is fed through a feeding tube. She cannot regulate her own body temperature or her sodium or really anything. This causes seizures and frequent hospital visits.
Despite all of this, she rarely cries, but almost always smiles. Though she can’t talk, she can laugh. Though she may not understand what is happening when a football game or basketball game is on, she can hear the sound and see the bright flashes of red or white dashing across the screen.
She is Angel. Angel, as many of you that follow me on social media know, is my niece. She was born prematurely and barely survived after being put on ECMO. Yet here she is, 14 years later, smiling and laughing.
Angel needs Card Nation’s, Card Fam’s help to fly. We are trying to raise funds for two much-needed pieces of equipment for her. Firstly, she is in desperate need of an I-STAT machine that can monitor her sodium level. Unlike kids who, when their sodium is high or low can regulate with fluids, she cannot. She cannot get up and get a glass of water or tell us she’s thirsty. Many of her recent hospital stays were due to her sodium either being high or low. One stay put her in ICU and nearly had her intubated.
Secondly, Angel is in need of a new wheel chair in the near future. The one she currently has causes her discomfort as she is beginning to outgrow it. Insurance will not pay for the one she truly needs and its cost is more than our family can handle.
Angel truly lives up to her name. She is angelic. She is my heart and my sister’s heart. We need any help you can give. In this day and age, I understand it’s hard to help and will totally understand if you can’t.
Angel’s wings are the wings of a cardinal. She soars despite her disabilities and takes my family along for the ride. She was born into a family of Cardinals, and despite not knowing what football or basketball or any sport is, she knows she’s a cardinal.
Back a few years ago, Angel went to Kosair Charities for physical therapy. They had a special day where kids and their families got to go to a UofL Football practice and meet the team and coaches. This was during Charlie Strong’s tenure. We were unsure if we should take her because of the heat and the fact she didn’t know what football is. However, it was a great decision. She smiled and laughed as she saw the players dashing before her eyes in their red and white practice jerseys. Guys like Greg Scruggs came up to her and shook her little hand and talked to her. Her smile was radiant and her laugh was brilliant. Not even knowing why these young men were famous, she enjoyed the attention and the love.
Angel is a Cardinal forever. And she needs your help fellow members of the flock; even the smallest donation is a great help. The main thing we hope to get is the I-STAT machine to monitor her sodium. Thank you my friends.
Once again, you can donate below and help make a difference for a sweet little Angel:
