Family #2’s Story
We are helping three families have an extra special Christmas this year.
Read family #2’s story:
August 30 was just another day for Bailey Kay and her dad, Jamie.
Bailey had just started fourth grade at Woodland Heights Elementary School in Mooresville. After school, she was jumping on her trampoline when, all of a sudden, she turned a flip and started to not feel well. She ran inside to tell her dad. Almost immediately, she fell unconscious.
Jamie, a single father, called 911, and Bailey was rushed by ambulance to nearby Lake Norman Regional Medical Center then life-flighted within minutes to Levine’s Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
It turns out Bailey was born with an undiagnosed cerebral arteriovenous malformation (ATV), a condition in which essentially the blood vessels in her brain were tangled and had burst.
At Levine’s, the 10-year-old was placed in a medically induced coma, and drains were placed in her brain. She was in critical condition, and doctors weren’t sure if she would make it or, if she would, the amount of brain damage she would have suffered.
A couple weeks after the initial incident, and still barely responding to stimulants, Bailey came down with pneumonia. Still, on Sept. 20, she underwent reparation surgery for her brain aneurism. And not long after that, she started responding to her dad, giving him a “thumbs up” and even a hug.
And then, she grew strong enough to say to him: “I love you.”
Though at one point it seemed improbable, if possible, Bailey was finally able to be taken off her ventilator. She started writing again.
But then, just about a week after the improvements, she was in rehab when she spiked a fever and fluid began draining from her head. She tested positive for bacterial meningitis.
After fighting once again to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the young fighter was released from ICU on Oct. 14 and placed on the rehab floor at Levine’s. She was released from the hospital in mid-November and was finally able to go home.
Jamie has not left his daughter’s side since Day One. Lowe’s Home Improvement, which has employed Jamie full-time at its Troutman store since 2007, has been incredibly supportive of the family of two, even though Jamie hasn’t been back to work since Bailey fell unconscious on Aug. 30. Jamie’s co-workers have even committed to donating supplies and building a wheelchair-accessible ramp for Bailey at her Mooresville home.
Jamie is still in awe of his daughter. “It’s just such a miracle,” he said of Bailey’s journey from near-death to being able to go home. He said he will be out of work at least through the end of the year and he has no idea when he will be able to return.
But Bailey is the apple of his eye and, hands down, his number-one priority: “I’ll be taking care of her around the clock and continuing her therapy,” he said without skipping a beat.
Jamie said doctors are unsure if Bailey will have a full recovery, and it will likely be two years before they know. But one thing is for sure: the young girl will need more surgeries and more therapy in coming months.
The goal of One Special Christmas is to give specially selected children one unforgettable Christmas by showing them the love of Jesus in real, tangible ways. The hope is that those children will remember the gesture and pay forward the simple gift of love to others they meet in the remaining years of their lives.
Won’t you help us help Bailey and her devoted, loving dad share one very special, unforgettable Christmas together? There are several ways to help!
Become a sponsor for our auction, make a financial donation, donate an item to be auctioned, or be a table host and bring a crowd to our Dec. 3 auction at Oehler’s Barn in Charlotte!
