AUBURN - The journey for the Green family of Auburn began almost a year ago. Their quest was to find an answer to what was wrong with 13-year-old Caitlyn.
“The headaches kind of progressed from being mildly annoying last fall to taking her down completely in December,” Sherrill Green said at the benefit held Saturday at the Polish Falcons for her daughter.
“Then came the pain up and down her left side, and the loss of balance.”
Caitlyn has always been known to be a little klutzy, a fact that contributed to the ambiguous nature of many of the symptoms.
“Recently, she was walking and without warning she just gave way and fell and broke her foot,” mom said.
This made Caitlyn, wearing pink sneakers, with a pink-trimmed hat separating her long straight black hair, burst out laughing.
“I don't think it's very funny,” Sherrill said.
“I do,” Caitlyn said.
“As you can see, she does have her good days,” Sherrill said.
Donald Green, Caitlyn's father, just smiled.
Caitlyn's surgery, scheduled for Nov. 14, will be the culmination of their odyssey, which began early this year.
The first stop was to the local doctor's office in Auburn, including her pediatrician, who then recommended a physician in Syracuse, who then recommended an M.R.I. The results indicated a 50-percent possibility of Chiari malformation, a rare birth defect that affects where the spinal column meets the cerebellum.
Next stop was the Internet, to find out who would confirm or deny that diagnosis, and if necessary would know how to correct it.
“They looked all over Syracuse and Auburn and there wasn't anyone. Then all of a sudden there was this doctor in Long Island and he said, ”No problem! Let's get it done!“ said step-grandfather James Day.
So then there was the trip in August down to the Chiari Institute in Long Island for confirmation, leading to the surgery date.
“We hope to be home the Tuesday before Thanksgiving,” Sherrill Green said.
Both Mary-Jo Day and Caitlyn's other grandmother, Rose-Ann Alfieri, organized the benefit, the funds from which will help defray the Green's expensive stay on the island.
“Our family and friends have been tremendous,” said Sherrill Green. “We've learned, if you know something's wrong, don't give up.”
“And if they tell you, you don't have anything wrong, don't believe them,” Caitlyn said.
“Then came the pain up and down her left side, and the loss of balance.”
Caitlyn has always been known to be a little klutzy, a fact that contributed to the ambiguous nature of many of the symptoms.
“Recently, she was walking and without warning she just gave way and fell and broke her foot,” mom said.
This made Caitlyn, wearing pink sneakers, with a pink-trimmed hat separating her long straight black hair, burst out laughing.
“I don't think it's very funny,” Sherrill said.
“I do,” Caitlyn said.
“As you can see, she does have her good days,” Sherrill said.
Donald Green, Caitlyn's father, just smiled.
Caitlyn's surgery, scheduled for Nov. 14, will be the culmination of their odyssey, which began early this year.
The first stop was to the local doctor's office in Auburn, including her pediatrician, who then recommended a physician in Syracuse, who then recommended an M.R.I. The results indicated a 50-percent possibility of Chiari malformation, a rare birth defect that affects where the spinal column meets the cerebellum.
Next stop was the Internet, to find out who would confirm or deny that diagnosis, and if necessary would know how to correct it.
“They looked all over Syracuse and Auburn and there wasn't anyone. Then all of a sudden there was this doctor in Long Island and he said, ”No problem! Let's get it done!“ said step-grandfather James Day.
So then there was the trip in August down to the Chiari Institute in Long Island for confirmation, leading to the surgery date.
“We hope to be home the Tuesday before Thanksgiving,” Sherrill Green said.
Both Mary-Jo Day and Caitlyn's other grandmother, Rose-Ann Alfieri, organized the benefit, the funds from which will help defray the Green's expensive stay on the island.
“Our family and friends have been tremendous,” said Sherrill Green. “We've learned, if you know something's wrong, don't give up.”
“And if they tell you, you don't have anything wrong, don't believe them,” Caitlyn said.
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