Isabella Rearden, the 2-year-old daughter of Devin and Casey Rearden, has been sick for all but three months of her life.
Isabella, who turns 3 soon, suffers from bronchomalacia, tracheomalacia and innominate artery compression, which affect her lungs and throat, and has undergone treatment since she was 6 months old.
Rearden’s left lung is collapsed by 90% and her trachea is closed by 40%, her father, Devin, said. She also has a vein wrapped around her trachea, which is further complicating her breathing. When she eats and drinks, her airways don’t close, which builds fluid in her lungs.
After the Reardens moved from Yelm to Billings, Montana, Isabella underwent multiple bronchoscopies and CT scans, but Billings Clinic doctors told them that there was nothing more they could do and recommended that she be seen at the Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Devin said when he received the call that Billings Clinic could no longer help them, he had a “little bit of a panic attack” but had to keep his emotions in check for his wife, Casey.
“It’s worrying me because they said after 80% closure of the lung, it would need surgery, and it’s at 90%,” Devin said, adding his daughter could need an artificial airway. “I didn’t want to break down because my wife is too emotional to go to those kinds of appointments.”
Devin and Casey started a GoFundMe to raise money for medical bills, a new shaker vest that helps clear Isabella’s airways and missed work, among other expenses. They received small grants that will help purchase plane tickets and necessities for an October appointment in Colorado, but the grants don’t cover housing or medical bills.
If doctors in Colorado determine that Isabella requires surgery, the expenses will continue to rise, let alone the stresses of a soon-to-be 3-year-old undergoing what Devin described as an “invasive” procedure.
“We’re really hoping they figure out something different to where it doesn’t come down to surgery because the last step is figuring out whether she’s going to have surgery or if they can fix it without it,” he said. “I don’t want her to have surgery [when she’s] this little. The medical bills and all the doctors appointments and tests keep adding up, and it’s killing us.”
Devin said Casey’s parents have helped them by taking care of Isabella so that the couple can go to work. As of Tuesday, July 23, five people have donated a combined $950 to their GoFundMe.
“It makes me really happy,” Devin said of the donations and support. “I hate that I have to ask for help. I’m really happy that my friends and family have chipped in and are helping us out, but I hate that it had to come to asking. I just sold a bunch of stuff out of my garage so that I could buy her birthday presents for next month. I know money helps out, but we need prayers that she doesn't have to have surgery.”
The Reardens’ GoFundMe can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2af8ddss.
