I have something to write about today that has worn heavy on my heart for the past 2 months.   There is a little girl who lives in my town that needs our help tremendously!    I really appreciate you taking the time to read about this sweet girl and what she has endured and will have to endure in the weeks, months and years to come.   And I hope this will touch you beyond words to help Bella and her family in any way that you can.

Bella is eight years old, a third grader at my daughter’s school.  She is a gymnast.  A typical little girl.  She lives with her mom, step-dad, younger sister, and three older brothers, one of whom is a friend of my son. On Easter Sunday, Bella woke like any other and had a wonderful day and Easter Egg hunt with her family.  But later in the day she began to get sick. Her family thought it was nothing more than a flu.  But it was much more than that.

Bella woke with a fever of 103 degrees, and her feet were cold…strangely cold.  She was immediately taken to the emergency room and, once seen, flown very quickly by helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Boston. She worsened and then was in a coma for 5 very long days.  We all waited and prayed hard around our small community!!    Doctors discovered that Bella had Streptococcus Pneumonia Sepsis with DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).  The survival rate for this terrible infection is about 10% and the doctors didn’t give much hope for Bella.

Somehow after five days in a coma and against the odds, Bella woke.  She had survived.  Unfortunately not without HUGE sacrifices.  The strep infection she had had stopped the flow of oxygen to her extremities.   It caused such severe tissue damage to her limbs that, on April 27th, she had to undergo a quadruple amputation.

Can you even imagine where you would begin to grasp this happening to your child?

Doctors amputated her right arm up to her elbow, her left arm up to her mid-bicep, and both legs.  She has just recently finished her last surgery (hopefully) and was moved to Spaulding Rehab in Boston for extensive rehabilitation.  It will be months and months before Bella will be able to go home.

This family has had their lives turned upside down.  Her mother has and will need to be with her 24/7, as you can only imagine,  and had to leave her job.  Their home will need to be modified to accommodate a wheelchair for Bella.  Her other younger siblings need childcare.  They need as much help as we can give them.

This is where I am reaching out to you all.  If you have the means, please consider ANYTHING!!  Even if it’s just 5 or 10 dollars, it will all help.   Please visit this website that was started on her behalf—- BellaTucker.org

I have created a button, which is in my sidebar, to hope to raise more on her behalf.   If you have a blog or website and you feel inclined to display it there as well……PLEASE DO!!!  Please spread the word!

I thank you, her family thanks you, Bella thanks you!!!!!!!!!!!

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