Redwood City, CA
1-800-348-8911
Very Sick Child Needs Your Help
911 CARES was designed to help in situations where insurance or family funding can’t do the job in situations that are catastrophic or unforeseen. The activation below defines why 911 CARES is around. We ask that you support this family in need.
There are FOUR ways you can help:
1-Make a direct donation via 911 CARES *ALL* donations we receive will go to the family fund, we just want to make it easy for you to donate!
2-Send a check to the address listed below, a special bank account has been set up for this family.
3-Get one of the gift cards you may have gotten for Christmas and send it to the family via the Memphis address below. Make sure the family knows you heard about them via 911 CARES.
4- Add this family to your personal and church prayer circle.
All addresses you need are listed below, please forward this e-mail to co-workers, your union and any public safety organization you know. If you imagine yourself in the shoes of Staci and Michael, you will surely help us “pay it forward”
REQUEST FOR A 911CARES ACTIVATION:
Staci Chappell is a 7 year veteran 911 Telecommunicator for the Piatt County Illinois Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center. Her husband Michael, a volunteer firefighter, are parents of two very young children, Mikey age 2 and Kelly (or affectionally known as “KK”) age 11 months. Staci and her family reside in Piatt County during normal conditions and have family throughout Central Illinois.
Over the past several months the Chappell’s noticed that “KK” was having frequent episodes of vomiting. She began to regress in her abilities to crawl, sit up, as well as hold her head up. In the early stages of her illness, Doctors provided several diagnosis, but when KK began to regress the Pediatrician referred her immediately to the Emergency Department of a local hospital. There she was put through a battery of tests and, much to the family’s horror, were told KK had a mass located on her brain stem and recommended immediate transport to St. Jude’s Children Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Within just a few hours, Staci and KK were flown to St. Jude’s. The next day a MRI showed a tumor that resembled an orange so large that it appeared it was crushing the child’s brain stem. KK was transferred to St. Jude’s nearby sister hospital Le Bonheur for surgery. The surgery was successful, in that the tumor was removed, but it was cancerous and it had attached itself to her brain stem. The pathology report returned with discouraging news. KK was diagnosed as having AT/RT also know as Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor. This is a rare type of tumor that is almost exclusively diagnosed in the central nervous system of small children. Approximately 3 out of 1 million children in the United States are diagnosed with this condition each year with a survival rate of only 10% for children under 3 years of age. This information was obviously a devastating blow to Staci and her family just 4 days before Christmas.
Currently, KK is doing as well as can be expected but she is undergoing chemotherapy that is making her very sick. It is in our prayers that the treatment will be successful and she will beat the odds and survive this terrible illness. Doctors have estimated that the family will not be able to return to their home in Illinois for a minimum of 6 months while they fight for the survival of their daughter. This is a 2 paycheck a week family that just became a no paycheck a week family. They have no other source of income. Insurance and St. Jude’s hospital cover the medical and living expenses, but out of pocket expenses, such as a mortgage back home, water bill, power bill, etc… are not covered or being paid.
Staci’s 911 family is devastated and along with prayers, we are trying to help the family through this horrible time. We have established a fund for the Chappell’s. If you would be so moved, donations are currently being accepted at the Central Illinois Bank, 204 South Market, Monticello, Illinois 61856 in the care of the Kelly Chappell Benefit Fund. If you wish to send a card or words of encouragement to the family, you may do so at their new address: Kelly Chappell, C/O Michael and Staci Chappell, 1811 Poplar Ave., Apt# 424, Memphis, TN 38104.
Please keep the family in your prayers. We will pass on updates periodically on KK’s progress in the battle for her life.
James A. Cripe, Director
Piatt County 9-1-1
1216 Raymond Rd
Monticello, IL 61856
Ph. 217.762.2626
Fax 217.762.3872
jimcripe@mchsi.com
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