On the very same day Mack was diagnosed, his father Dustin was hospitalized with complications of stage four colon cancer. After twelve cycles of chemotherapy and specialized surgeries the previous year, Dustin now faces several more months of chemotherapy, scans, and other procedures to address the cancer that has spread to his liver and lung. Dustin is a hardworking, loving, public-serving, Air Force veteran and father of six. He and Mack are both fighting long and hard. Thank you for loving, supporting, and caring for Mighty Mack, Dustin, and the whole Ballard Family!
Walli would like to show our love and support to the Ballard family. On Oct 25th, we will be hosting a Walli Gives Back event on their behalf. Please use the code “walligivesback” for 15% off your order on the 25th, one day only.
Walli would like to show our love and support to the Carter family. On Sept 27th, we will be hosting a Walli Gives Back event on their behalf. Please use the code “walligivesback” for 15% off your order on the 27th, one day only.
Meet the Hamm Family. Craig and Kelly have two sons, Jackson and Elliot. On August 3rd, 2022 they took their two year old son, Elliot, to the doctor. He had some bruising and a rash but no other pressing symptoms. They started that day with a routine pediatrician visit and ended up being told to pack a bag and head to Children’s Hospital, 3 hours away from their home. By 6:00 pm that same day, they knew Elliot, their precious two year old, had cancer. Elliot had surgery a few days later to place a port for treatments and to determine the type of cancer. He was diagnosed with High-Risk B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He started his first chemo treatments that week and they were told he would need treatment for two to three years. On August 8th, Elliot was not tolerating his medicine and they had to insert an NG tube. Believe it or not, this process is done while he is awake. That was one of the many hard things this family would go through over the course of the next year. Elliot has battled side effects from chemo like nausea, vomiting, weight loss, lethargy, neuropathy, trouble walking, and more. They have traveled six hours round trip for treatment weekly for an entire year. Now travel there monthly unless there is an emergency. They’ve spent countless nights separated because of his diagnosis, having been hospitalized ten times so far. Elliot has received over 30 blood or blood product transfusions. He has had many lumbar punctures and more things no two year old should ever have to endure.
Elliot’s treatment will continue until December 2024, Lord willing.
Craig was working as a bi-vocational pastor and had just started building his new business one month prior to Elliot’s diagnosis. He had to make the tough decision to step down from his pastorate to better focus on his family. Kelly also quit her job to take care of their two boys.. Even though it’s been tough, they have hope in the Lord and trust Him to provide, and He has always been faithful!
*Serizure Alert/Scent: His dog will be able to detect a seizure, alert his family, and provide comfort to him during and after an episode.
*Behavior Disruption: Ryland often becomes overwhelmed with loud sounds and crowded spaces. His service dog will be able to pick up on his anxiety and kiss, snuggle, or provide pressure to certain areas on his body to help soothe him.
*Tethering/Tracking: Ryland likes to wander and has no understanding of safety. His dog will aid in preventing him from eloping and will also be able to track him in the event that he was to escape. On average, it costs between $40,000-$60,000 to breed, raise and train a service dog. His family is responsible for raising $20,000 of that cost. After the service fee is met, 4 Paws for Ability will begin the process of breeding and training a service dog for Ryland, which will take 2-2.5 years. Rylands family wants to give him all the opportunities and support possible for him to be successful. A service dog will be able to support his needs while also becoming a loving companion and constant friend in an unpredictable world.
After the surgery, Hailey had multiple complications and infections causing her to stay in the ICU for three months. She was intubated for two and a half months, and her chest was open for 23 days. Now that her lungs are doing better, they were able to take off the ventilator but she is still in need of oxygen support day and night. After many conversations with the doctors, they flew on a medical flight to ICU at OHSU Children hospital closer to their home in Oregon. Unfortunately, she had a big injury to her only kidney she was born with so she is now on dialysis. She still has a long road ahead of her, but she and her parents are trusting and praying every day for a miracle.
The next few weeks were spent trying to reverse the damage, but her heart continued to worsen. Sienna is no longer a candidate for her third surgery, her only option now is to receive a heart transplant. She was placed on the transplant list in February and is alive today thanks to a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). It comes with extreme risks, but her doctors felt she couldn’t survive without it until her new heart comes. The wait at this age is long. They anticipate they will be doing the 1.5 hour hospital commute daily for a minimum of 12 months and several times a week for the year after, if all goes well. Sienna’s resilience is ever encouraging. She’s pushed through all of these twists and turns with a spicy sass that is equally inspiring as it is intimidating. She is one of the most special and pure children you will ever meet. Her little half heart has healed the hearts of those around her and has taught everyone what matters most in this life.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
Walker has been put on a three year treatment plan at Children's Hospital of Alabama, where they have spent much of their time the past 6 months while he receives chemotherapy. DJ just started treatments at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN. He is receiving intravenous immunotherapy and takes a chemical pill to hopefully slow down the mass that is attached to his trachea.
Overall, they consider themselves very blessed and their faith is strong. They are just an ordinary family dealing with extraordinary circumstances. They’ve met a lot of wonderful people and the care that both Walker and DJ have received thus far is unmatched. They are thankful for all the doctors, nurses, and staff at both facilities who make the visits bearable. Mom, Wendy, said they couldn't make it through a situation like this without the hand of God, as well as support from others who they consider their "Army.”
This has been a life-changing experience for Bradi, in the worst and best ways. She can honestly say she’s had more good days than bad days and it’s because of the support and love that’s been shown to her and her family!
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Meet the Gross family!
Michael and Michelle Gross were expecting their second child in Idaho Falls, ID. In February of 2021, they found during an ultrasound that their daughter, Isabella, would be born with a heart defect called Hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Isabella would need care at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over the next few months of her life, Isabella had two open heart surgeries and many stays in the hospital with complications.
In January of 2022, Isabella was life-flighted to Primary Children’s, again. This time it was heart failure. Isabella received a Berlin Heart in February, as her condition deteriorated. This was installed as a bridge to heart transplant. Having the Berlin Heart meant that she had to be at the hospital 24/7. She received her life-saving heart transplant in October and was able to come home at the end of November. Isabella has been doing amazing with only a few complications. She is stable and they are so grateful for Isabella’s second chance at life!
Their family relocated to Utah to be closer to the hospital and for Isabella to receive the care she needs for the next few years. Michael had to find a new job and they started from zero again, but are happy to be together as a family.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
Meet the Dalley family. Brian was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called Spindle Cell Sarcoma in May of 2020. They removed the mass and seemed to think they had gotten it all with good margins but within 6 weeks it had come back to its original location and had spread to his incision site and lymph nodes. Brian and Kallie left their kids with family and went to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix thinking this was their best shot. While they were there, Brian underwent 23 rounds of intense radiation. At this time they sent him for a PET scan and MRI to make sure everything was still on track for a complex surgery. The next morning Doctor T called and asked them to come in and talk to her. Kallie will never forget this day and the sadness Dr. T’s eyes radiated as she told them Brian’s cancer had spread and he was now considered terminal as there is no cure for his cancer. She gave him only 6 to 12 months to live.
Brian started his first round of the most aggressive chemo in October of 2020. They did two rounds and scanned and found the chemo was working. For two years treatments continued to work, Brian was able to maintain a quality of life that allowed their family to make precious memories and really live everyday as if it was their last.
In August of 2022 they found out Brian’s cancer was back and that he had a large tumor in front of his heart. Kallie can’t tell you why, but she knew this time Brian wouldn’t receive the miracle of more time. She would have moments where she would look at him and God would whisper “He is dying and I need you to know.” And every time, her heart would break as she knew the day she'd have to give him back would creep closer.
Over the next 3 months, Kallie and her kids watched as their dad slowly deteriorated in front of their eyes. They watched as he continued to fight to stay with them and they then watched on as he took his last and final breath. The Dalley's sent Brian home to heaven on November 7th, 2022 just as the setting sun was painting a beautiful sky.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
Meet the Pearson family! Jake and Kailee found out in June of 2021 that their daughter Mailee would be born with gastroschisis, a condition where the small intestines are on the outside of the body. They were told it appeared to be a simple case and Mailee would spend six weeks in the NICU. At 34 weeks, they went for a scan and the surgeon said they needed to deliver immediately. Mailee’s stomach had begun to close, which caused the intestines to cut off from the other intestines. Mailee spent 6 months in the NICU. She had 3 surgeries during that time and a couple weeks ago had an intense operation where they had to taper and staple 60 centimeters of bowel and connect it to an ostomy, and then connect the other lower intestines to a J tube. Because Mailee’s intestines don’t work, she gets all of her nutrients through TPN, which is a central line. Two times a day when they open the line for feeding, they risk the chance of getting an infection in the blood. This infection would be very dangerous to Mailee.
In the midst of dealing with all of this, Cooper, their almost 2-year-old son, stopped eating. He wasn’t gaining weight and lost close to all his body fat. Jake and Kailee had him in and out of doctors and hospitals with no answers. In June 2022, his eye started having random movements. They went in for an MRI and found a large brain tumor. It’s located on the hypothalamus, optic nerve, and pituitary glands going back towards his brain stem. It has also metastasized down his spine. Cooper started oral chemo in July in hopes that the tumors would stop growing. In September they went for an updated MRI to find that the tumor has grown almost a full centimeter bigger and the spine has a new small tumor. Due to the location of the tumor, it is inoperable. Cooper has been on two different types of chemo for treatment.
Jake and Kailee said it has been a journey, and it’s far from over. On November 16th, the Walli Gives Back Foundation showed our love and support for the Pearsons and had a fundraiser for the family.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support.
This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
Meet the Sorensens! Stephanie is the mother to three darling girls-- Julia, Kennedy and Paisley. Stephanie has overcome many challenges raising her daughters as a single mother, but life became even more complex when Paisley was born with a critical congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Paisley was transported by the life flight team to Primary Children's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and received an emergency stent procedure within a few hours of birth. At just four days old, she received her first of three palliative open heart surgeries.
Paisley spent the next 13 weeks in the hospital as she face complication after complication. She was able to go home for a few months and then received her second open heart surgery at 5 months old. Paisley has returned to Primary Children's many times since for other surgeries and treatments as she continues to overcome the challenges her body is faced with. But through it all, Paisley has continued to be a fighter!
Due to the amount of time Paisley has spent in the hospital since she was born and the extent of care she needs at home, Stephanie has been unable to work. After not feeling well herself, Stephanie was recently diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. She is preparing for her own open heart surgery next week, all while trying to take care of her sweet girls as a single parent.
Walli showed our love and support for Stephanie and her daughters by donating all proceeds from one day of sales.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support.
This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
To show our love and support to the Powell family, Walli donated the proceeds from one day of sales to Melanie and her children.
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support.
This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
]]>About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support.
This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
]]>About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support.
This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
]]>About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."
About the Walli Gives Back Program:
When Walli Cases was created, owners Nick and Jenna Emery were recently married and both emerging from what they would describe as the darkest times of their lives. They are both passionate about reaching out to others in need because of the huge outpouring of love and support they received during their trials, including Jenna becoming a widow with an 8-month-old son and more recently losing her mother to cancer, and Nick going through divorce. When they created Walli cases, they wanted to help others feel the same hope and encouragement, and the Walli Gives Back program was created. Each month, Walli chooses a family to support. This quote by Natalie Norton sums up why they are both devoted to "giving back" to others in their time of need: "There is always a light. Find it. Follow it. And then turn around and shine it as brightly as you can for those still feeling their way through the darkness."