Josie Rae Hoffman was born September 14, 2009. When she was born we knew she has a heart defect TAPVR (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return) and we knew she had abnormalities. While in the NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus she got a g-tube placed, choanal atresia repair, and double hernia repair. Also finding out Josie has a coloboma, low set crumpled/cupped right ear, hearing loss in both ears. Spine and rib abnormalities and severe scoliosis. Cross-fused kidneys, absent radius bone in her right arm, missing right thumb, overlapping right fingers, platelet storage pool deficiency. She had to go back in January 2010 and had open heart surgery to repair which she did great with and was discharged within a week. On Valentines Day (Feb. 14, 2010) she was admitted while having a heart attack. Josie also has receptive airway disease and has caused her to be on oxygen in the past and doesn’t do well with fall, winter, and spring (causes her problems breathing.) She has had minor things here and there. Then in August 2012 she had her left kidney removed. Then having a rough winter in 2013 having another heart attack. She is now on a c-pap machine at night to help with her airways and lungs we have been told her right lung only functions at 30% and left lung at 70%. And after a few falls learning to get around better has brought on broken bones along with being told she has low bone density. She struggles with keeping her balance and one little tumble we don’t know what it will do to her.
We are hoping that getting a service dog for her can help her become much more independent and a companion from a friend that wont treat her different like most people do. She needs/deserves to have something that she can call hers, that will always be there for her and help her with things that she struggles to do daily. We think this will help her so much with all her appointments that she gets so anxious about too.
But we need help with donations. No donation is to small!! We need to raise $9,000 please help us/her family give her the gift that a 5 year old should have independence.
You can also mail a check to:
W.A.G.S. 4 Kids
112 E. Center Street
Berea, OH 44017
Pleases make a memo note that your donation is for Josie