On June 1st Collin underwent reparative surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital. The skilled surgeon was able to detach the lip muscle from his nose, dissecting multiple layers of skin, muscle, and tissue, and re-build & re-attach his lip muscle. The hours long procedure also involved cosmetic repairs to his lip and nostril.

Collin had to spend the night at Primary Children’s, and Sloan & Ashlynn were fortunate enough to make arrangements to stay at Ronald McDonald house in Salt Lake City. We are happy to report Collin is feeding normally and is expected to make a full and complete recovery. Collin’s recovery is expected to take 2-3 months, and he will have annual checkups throughout his childhood.

While Sloan’s internship is paid, it is an entry level position in a highly competitive field, and the current wage is not nearly enough to cover the family’s living expenses, let alone the substantial medical costs that Collin’s procedure has incurred. This year Collin has been selected as the recipient of our Cherries for Charity fundraiser.

On March 16, 2018, four-year-old Emma Shumway is scheduled to have Cranioplasty surgery. This little blond-haired bundle of energy was diagnosed with Metopic Cranisynostosis when she was five months old. She had her first surgery at 9 months old to open up her skull plates to make room for her brain to grow and for her skull to grow correctly.

Trust us, it won't take long to convince you.