From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — Several fundraisers have been created for helping a Hewitt-Trussville High Schooler pay for medical expenses.
Friends of 15-year-old Kaylyn Mayer and her parents have rallied to create fundraisers to get her into The Mayo Clinic’s Adolescent PRC Program as quickly as possible.
- There will be a garage sale on Friday, January 28, and Saturday, January 29, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 154 Rockridge Ave in Trussville. Tandi Glenn Smith is organizing the event and requests that you contact her if anyone has any donations that they would like to add to the garage sale.
- Smith will also be selling TandiCakes. To reserve a cake, contact Smith through Facebook.
“I have Salted Caramel, Lemon, Lemon Blueberry and Almond,” Smith said. “Cakes will be $25 each, and every bit of the money will go to Kaylyn. These will be for sale at the yard sale, and whatever is left will be sold at a bake sale that will be in a few weeks.”
- Football squares are being sold for the Super Bowl. Squares are $20 each, with payouts being $125 each quarter. For more info, visit the Facebook groups.
- GoFundMe account: Helping Kaylyn Heal
- Kaylyn’s friends are making necklaces and bracelets. For more information, join Kaylyn’s Facebook group page.
- Bake Sale with date and location to be announced.
- Charm Char Charcuterie Board fundraiser is Tuesday, January 25 through Sunday, January 30. One-hundred percent of all proceeds go to the Mayer family. It is a preorder meat and cheese charcuterie board for $30.00 and can be used at any time.
Mayer was diagnosed in September 2021 with COVID-19. After battling the virus, it appeared she had overcome her sickness and returned to her daily routine. However, on September 28, 2021, Kaylyn began getting sick again.
Related Story: ‘Helping Kaylyn Heal’ by raising donations for medical expenses
While at school, Kaylyn texted her mother, Ashley Mayer, explaining that she was in a lot of pain and was dizzy. After waking up the following day with a high fever and experiencing severe pain, Ashley rushed her daughter to the doctor, where they tested her for many illnesses, which all came back negative.
Watching her daughter struggling and seeing Kaylyn’s health continue to deteriorate, Ashley took Kaylyn to a doctor at Children’s of Alabama, who was a gastro specialist, a heart doctor, and an infectious disease doctor at Children’s in Birmingham. It was then that Kaylyn was diagnosed with Long Haul Covid. This form of COVID had brought on over illnesses such as Dysautonomia, Chronic Pain, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Gastroparesis.
Realizing that no one knew how to help Kaylyn and fearing for her health, her family boarded a plane and flew to The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the week before Christmas. Kaylyn was immediately taken to the emergency room, where doctors observed her symptoms and admitted her to the hospital.
Kaylyn was struggling to eat due to chronic pain, and as a result, she was losing weight and energy. So doctors with The Mayo Clinic decided to insert a Nasogastric (NG) Tube to allow Kaylyn to eat three times a day.
After a month at The Mayo Clinic, Kaylyn was able to go home on Tuesday, January 11. Kaylyn is supposed to return to Minnesota for The Mayo Clinic’s Adolescent PRC Program, and doctors believe this is her best chance of living a semi-normal life.
Unfortunately, the program is expensive, and the family is required to pay $47,000 before she starts the program, her insurance (BCBS) is refusing to pay.
Join the What’s Happening With Kaylyn (Dayday) Facebook group for more information.