This week we want to share a story about a young lady who really touched our heart. We stepped outside our mission box a bit to welcome Shellie and her family to a Yellow Door apartment at Stone Creek Village. They are the 11th family we’ve had the honor to serve in our first 14 months. Their need was critical and they were traveling from SW Virginia, so we are thankful the timing of a vacant apartment worked out.
Eleven year old Shellie does not have cancer or need a transplant, She has a genetic seizure disorder called Early Infant Epileptic Encephalopathy (EIEE), causing her brain to atrophy. Research has found that more than 50 genes are associated with EIEE, but routine genetic tests fail in at least half the cases to pinpoint the cause of the condition. This means treatments and therapies are limited and the medical practitioner’s ability to alleviate the child’s symptoms is also limited. So far, it has cost Shellie her sight and the ability to walk.
Doctors at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital are hopeful. Recently, Dr. Betsy Ostrander from the University of Utah has developed high tech tools which can uncover the genetic cause. Dr. Ostrander said. “We can now identify the genetic cause of EIEE and select medications best suited to each patient to decrease the frequency of seizures earlier and hopefully prevent developmental delays.”
A sincere thanks to everyone who has made Yellow Door a success.