Charley & Mom Vs. Biliary Atresia

A few years ago, I auditioned for my first play with the community theatre in the little Missouri town where I was living. While there, I met another young actress with blond hair and bright blue eyes, who then became my cast-mate. The rest they say, is history.

Ever since that little play, Faith County, Leslie and I have been close friends. There was even a time when the Starbucks baristas nicknamed us Thelma and Louis because we were always together. Leslie helped me to get out of my little church worker bubble and get to know the town and make new friends. She and her husband welcomed me into their little family.

Even when I went back down to Missouri to visit, Leslie was one of the first people I saw. We spent the whole afternoon running around town with her kids in the backseat singing along to Frozen and catching up on life. It was just like old times.

At this time last year, Leslie was pregnant with her second child, Charley. Three weeks after Charley was born, she was diagnosed with Bilairy Atresia. (You can learn about it here.) Then, as the months went on, she also developed Rickets. (Basically, her bones break. I feel that feel, Charley.) Charley needs a new liver, has a feeding tube to help her gain weight, and has to have her diaper changed... A LOT. She's at the top of the liver transplant list and Leslie is even prepared to donate part of her own liver.

In spite of everything, Charley is one of the happiest little babies I have ever met. She's always smiling and giggling whenever I see her.

But Charley and her family need help. All of the medical bills and special formulas and cremes start to add up. They've started a GoFundMe campaign so people can help.

I know I've shared stories like this before on the blog, but this time it's different. This time, it's for a friend. This family is so special to me and I love them so much. The goal is $5,000 and right now they've raised $1,893. Let's make this happen!

You can donate through this link and learn more details about Charley and Leslie's story: http://www.gofundme.com/bo3b94

You can like Leslie and Charley's Facebook page by clicking here.