Giving Thanks For A Precious Life

Being thankful takes on a different meaning this time of year, especially for one family. They`re thankful, 9-month-old, Kylie Walleser is alive. Just hours after being born doctors discovered a birth defect that caused most of Kylie`s small intestines to die. She was flown to Shreveport from Alexandria for surgery. "Even when Kylie was so sick, she had this charisma and magnetism that made us want to fight for her, " said Dr. Kamyar Hedayat, Pediatric Intensivist. She has two centimeters of her small intestine and spends most her life hooked up to an IV, which supplies nutrients to keep her alive. But being feed intravenously could also make her sick; Children with Short Bowel Syndrome often have liver damage and are more at risk of suffering from deadly infections. Kylie is waiting for a transplant from a donor her same size. It will cost 1.3 million dollars. When the call delivering the news of a match comes, she and a crew from Schumpert will fly to Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. "We`ve had nine months to get to know her, she is full of life and full of personality... she is a true fighter and she is my inspiration," said Joan, Kylie`s mother. Kylie is a blessing to her family and a group of care providers that have watched a miracle in progress. A tiny tot with a great spirit and the determination to survive. One in 144,000 babies are affected with Small Bowel Syndrome. As of today, 247 people are awaiting an intestine transplant.