Family Highlight: Grace Kelson

Grace Kelson is a little girl who was born with a heart condition in 2013 to parents Victor Sr. and Melkadas. Before Grace was born, doctors discovered that she had a heart problem. After her birth, doctors found that she was missing her pulmonary valve entirely, which is responsible for replenishing oxygen stores in blood before sending it out to the rest of the body. This resulted in some breathing concerns and issues with her oxygen levels. Children diagnosed with this condition can live with it for a while, but eventually, surgery is required to repair the valve.

At 11 months old, Grace underwent that surgery. It was an open heart surgery and doctors essentially created a pulmonary valve for her heart. The day after the surgery, Grace went into cardiac arrest and nurses worked for almost an hour to save her life and stabilize her. After that, she was on very intensive life support for around two weeks, during which time the doctors advised Grace’s parents to take her off life support multiple times.

Thankfully, Grace’s parents, Victor Sr. and Melkadas, were able to bring her home after several weeks in the hospital. But in addition to DiGeorge’s syndrome and the heart surgery recovery, Grace received a few new diagnoses, including cerebral palsy, traumatic brain damage, and seizures. She also was on a ventilator and had a tracheostomy tube, meaning her care was intensified a great deal.

Prior to her surgery, Grace was making developmental strides that were exceptional given her condition, but her physical abilities changed after the surgery. Grace is in a wheelchair full-time and her family spends much of their time providing around-the-clock care for her.

Grace has several appointments on a weekly basis, including different therapies and various specialist visits. Although she lives near Charlotte, she often has to travel to Durham for specialty appointments, and her family was struggling to transport her there safely. Their vehicle was too small for her to ride in her wheelchair during the drives, and the trunk wasn’t large enough to fit much of the equipment that she needed. This led to them having to cancel and miss many important appointments, which was not ideal for Grace’s overall wellness.

Because of the amount of care that Grace needs, Victor Sr. is the only parent working, so they were unable to financially handle the purchase of a wheelchair van. In February 2021, All Things Possible gifted Grace’s family with a Toyota wheelchair van. The entire family was overjoyed about the vehicle, knowing that not only was it reliable, but also that it would help get Grace to her many appointments safely.

So many families like Grace’s are waiting and hoping for a wheelchair van, and All Things Possible is working hard to help them. You can be part of the journey and help these families by partnering with All Things Possible as a donor, sponsor, or volunteer today. Get in touch to learn more about our mission and how you can join our cause.