(Chelsea Update would like to thank Kari Haab for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea Aquatic Club is planning two 24-hour swim-a-thon fundraisers to assist the Christie Family and their daughter Lyla, who has a serious medical issue.
The first swim-a-thon will be Aug. 15-16 from 4 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Here’s how it will work. Every 30 minutes a new swimmer will swim, kick, or float the time away. We are encouraging families to try and raise $100 per slot. This would help us raise almost $5,000. We will be taking donations via check sent to Chelsea Aquatic Club – Lyla Fundraiser P.O. Box 606, Chelsea, MI 48118, or they can be brought to the event, or via credit card transactions.
If you are interested in donating or swimming, but not part of our current team, please contact [email protected] and we will get you signed up.
In addition, there is a gofundme page set up for Lyla if you prefer, but we will be giving these funds directly to the family.
Lyla, 10, was diagnosed with a fairly large anerismal bone cyst tumor on her neck, specifically between the C2 and C3 vertabrea on June 19.
On June 29, she went into surgery to freeze the tumor (cryoblation) which is shown to be more effective and safer treatment than just surgically removing it. There was a complication during surgery and she sustained an injury to her spinal cord causing her to not be able to breath on her own and to be paralyzed from her neck down.
On July 14, Lyla made a big step toward moving out of ICU with a tracheostomy. She still requires a ventilator attached to her trach as well as a GI tube for nourishment. She should soon graduate from PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and move upstairs to inpatient rehab where she is expected to stay approximately 4-6 weeks, possibly longer.
Her parents have accrued and will continue to incur medical bills. They will need to have a handicap van, which will be an additional cost. Also, they need to modify their home making a bedroom and a handicap bathroom on the main floor.
These costs are above what their insurance will cover and what they can financially handle. Donations will help cover some of these out of pocket expenses. And there is a starting fundraising goal of $40,000.
