Mother looks for healing notes for daughter with spina bifida
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Omaha (WOWT) — An Iowa teenager moved to Omaha for difficult reasons, to deal with a debilitating disease.
Alaina and Julie Spaulding are hoping members of their new community will come together and show her the healing power of love.
“I listen to Arianna Grande, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift,” Alaina said.
Later she added Halsey and Carrie Underwood to the list. She’s your typical teenage girl.
“I’m trying to go for the emo look, but it’s kind of hard because I have a mom that’s really picky,” Alaina tells us as her mom laughed behind her.
Alaina likes the color black, doesn’t always get along with her siblings and has the right mindset when it comes to pineapple on pizza.
“GAG!”
You wouldn’t know it is talking to her that two and a half weeks ago, she was under the knife, enduring a major surgery.
“She had to have rods and screws put in,” mom, Julie, explained. “She had a hole in the dura of her spinal cord. They had to sew that up too.”
The procedure a part of the saga of surgeries the 13-year-old has lived through. She was diagnosed with a severe case of spina bifida before she ever opened her eyes to the world.
“I’m trying to stay positive, but it’s not always easy. But yeah, I do my best,” Alaina said.
Staying positive, while focusing on her goal of someday walking again.
“There’s no guarantee on that, but that’s our prayer that someday she’ll be able to walk with crutches again. I’m sorry,” Julie said fighting through tears.
Alaina and her mom came to the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha last Thursday. The life-changing treatment pulling them away from their friends and family.
“My daughter who goes to school, she’s only in first grade. I missed my son’s band concerts,” Julie said. “I missed out on a lot of things…that was hard. But I also need to be here with her, she needs more support right now.”
It’s hard on Alaina too, she hasn’t been eating.
“She hasn’t been able to keep fluids in her. They’re threatening to put a tube down her and she doesn’t want that.” mom explained.
But Julie and her lifelong friend are hoping to turn that around with notes of encouragement from people in and around Omaha.
“Just cards of encouragement to go and give her the strength to get through everything she’s got to go through,” Julie said.
To let her know she’s not alone, there are people fighting with her.
“Cause it’s going to be a battle to get where we need to be and I think she could use all of the encouragement she can get,” said Julie.
Cards, notes and gift cards can bee sent to:
MADONNA REHAB. HOSPITAL
ATTN: ALAINA SPAULDING RM 157
17500 BURKE ST.
OMAHA, NE. 68118
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