In the fall of 2017, Keira “Kiki” Cunningham of Tappan, NY was your typical 3rd grader. She was a star student at her local elementary school, enjoyed gymnastics and cheerleading, and loved spending time with her two older brothers Cade and Dylan.
But on Sunday, September 24th, 2017 the Cunningham’s lives changed forever. Their beautiful, smart, and strong little girl had a had a massive headache, passed out, needed CPR and was put on life support. Doctors told parents Lauren and Chad that Kiki had suffered an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture in her brain. It is a miracle she survived the trip to the ER and the emergency brain surgery she had that night.
A brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. The arteries are responsible for taking oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. Veins carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the lungs and heart. A brain AVM disrupts this vital process. Brain AVMs are rare and affect less than 1 percent of the population. The cause of AVMs is not clear, and In about half of all brain AVMs, sudden hemorrhage is the first sign. (https://mayocl.in/2CXQF4l)
Kiki stayed in the ICU for 4 weeks and on 10/23/17 she was transferred to the traumatic brain injury unit at a Blythedale Children’s Hospital, a longtime leader in the treatment of children recovering from brain injury. Lauren and Chad’s hope is that Kiki will have a full recovery so she can run, play, dance, and sing again as Kiki is a fighter and continues to improve every day.
This past year has been devastating for the Cunninghams but Kiki and her family have been surrounded by prayer and amazing support from the onset. Their community held a fundraiser to cover Kiki’s deductible, copays, and to help the family stay afloat after Lauren had to leave her job to be with Kiki full time. The financial burden has been exhausting, but until now they have been able to make things work.
After over a year away from home, Kiki is finally set to be released from the rehabilitation hospital within the next month, hopefully in time for Thanksgiving. But before this can happen they have started some work on their home to make it wheelchair accessible. They also need to get a special lift and seat in their van that’s able to accommodate Kiki. They are able to cover the cost for the home modifications thanks to the generosity of friends and family but the group that was to help with the funding of the special needs car seat/lift is now unable. Without the Bruno Valet Seat, Lauren and Chad are left without a way to safely transport Kiki to her countless therapy and doctor appointments.
When Ride to Give heard Kiki’s story we knew we had to help raise the needed funds for the cost if the Bruno Valet Seat and the van modifications. Please help us by making a tax-deductible donation to Ride to Give.
You may follow Kiki's journey by liking Kiki Strong.
*Contributions are solicited with the understanding that the donee organization (Ride to Give, 501c3 tax ID 46-2952297) has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. Questions about how your donation is used can be answered on our website at http://bit.ly/2g1vWSe.
