Join Us for Walk Strong Across America on July 4, 2022
We are participating in the 7th annual Walk Strong Across America on behalf of our 4yr old daughter Baylee Wynter. Baylee was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis in March 2022. She had experienced gross and fine motor delays when she was 18months old and started receiving weekly physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy services. Most of her muscle weakness and discoordination were attributed to her diagnosis of Apraxia and developmental delays. After 1.5yrs of treatments we saw little to no progress in her strength or coordination. At around age 3.5yrs old we noticed symptoms worsening. She was tripping more, refusing to climb stairs, walk, or play outside. Her mood fluctuations worsened and she developed a rash all over her joints. She was initially diagnosed with hand foot and mouth disease and then severe eczema. After failed treatments she was finally referred to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where she was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis. She was immediately hospitalized for three days where she received IVIG and steroid infusions. She has been getting biweekly treatments at Vanderbilt ever since in addition to daily oral meds and weekly injections. We are so relieved to finally have answers and to start seeing improvements in our sweet girl. She can now run, climb stairs, play on the playground, joke around and share her love of all things Frozen! She still has steroid rages, flare ups and countless side effects from her treatments but with every smile, giggle and hug we remain hopeful and inspired by our little warrior. Her resiliency is contagious and motivates us to be better humans every day. The road ahead is long and challenging but seeing Baylee's daily grit and tenacity keeps us hopeful of a brighter future.
We invite you to show your support by making a gift and walking with us on or before July 4th - from the comfort of your home, in your yard, or around your neighborhood.
Cure JM families, friends and supporters are coming together to raise $750,000 for Juvenile Myositis research. Reaching this important milestone will help ensure no promising research is left on the table in 2021.
Gifts will be matched by the Leetz Family Match. Every dollar makes a difference and gifts will be put straight to work to advance research for better treatments, better care, and, ultimately, a cure.
We are so grateful for your support.
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