Girl Who Can’t Feel Pain Battles Insurance Company

Published on October 15, 2019

Wouldn’t it be lucky if you could never feel pain? That’s what happened to one little girl named Gabby. From birth, she couldn’t feel anything, sleeping through needle pricks and waking up freezing in her crib. Her parents, Trish and Steve Gingras, worried about these things. It was like she couldn’t feel them. They realized early on that their young daughter could feel no pain. Her parents thought it was an amazing feat until they started thinking about the many consequences.

Gabby As A Baby (Left) And Gabby As A Teenager (Right)

Gabby As A Baby (Left) And Gabby As A Teenager (Right)

Chewing on Her Hands

Though many wish they didn’t have to feel physical pain when it happens, imagine not being able to stop chewing on your hand or tongue. You couldn’t feel what you were doing, so you’d continue doing it. That’s what happened for Gabby. She started chewing on her fingers as all babies do. However, she didn’t stop because she never felt the pain. Poor Gabby ended up mutilating her fingers because the chewing had gotten so bad.

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Gabby At Age 5 Without Teeth

Gabby At Age 5 Without Teeth

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Gumming Her Tongue

Again, babies like to chew on things, and it’s easy to nibble on the body parts. Baby Gabby would chew on her tongue, just like it was bubble gum. While everyone has bitten their tongue before (sometimes hard enough to draw blood), you focus on not doing it again because it hurts. Imagine, then, if you couldn’t feel it. You’d probably continue chewing on it and not realize it. Gabby’s parents chose to have her teeth removed to stop the damage.

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Child Blowing A Bubble With Bubblegum

Child Blowing A Bubble With Bubblegum

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Poking and Scratching at Her Eyes

As mentioned earlier, young children like to get their hands on everything, especially if it is already on their bodies. Many times, kids rub their eyes when they’re tired or have an itch. However, Gabby was constantly poking and scratching at her eyes. One time, it got so bad that the doctor had to remove her left eye. Now, Gabby uses a prosthetic eye, which her parents insert each morning when she gets up and gets ready.

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Gabby With A Bandage After Eye Removal

Gabby With A Bandage After Eye Removal

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She Had to Wear Goggles

Since Gabby couldn’t stop herself from scratching and poking, her parents had to take precautions. She didn’t need glasses at the time to see, so they had her wear goggles. They protected her eyes so that her fingers wouldn’t poke them and cause more damage. However, she’d already lost one to the issue. Now, it was a matter of letting it heal and keeping the other eye safe. This took a lot of effort, but Gabby was still a free-spiriting youngster.

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Gabby Wearing Her Goggles

Gabby Wearing Her Goggles

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No, That’s Hot!

Most people don’t think about all the ways their bodies inform them about problems. You know not to touch the stove and that it will be hot if you do. However, for a little girl who never felt physical pain, it’s unknown what that feels like. Every young child touches something hot, instantly drops it, and starts crying. However, Gabby didn’t do that when she grabbed a hot lightbulb, terrifying her parents. She received second-degree burns on both of her hands.

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Bandaged Hand

Bandaged Hand

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Gabby Doesn’t Feel Weather

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could go out on a freezing-cold day and never have to worry about feeling the bite of the wind or the chill? Yes, it seems amazing until you think about the repercussions. It would be all too easy to play in the snow and get frostbite because you couldn’t feel the cold. The same applies in the rain, snow, sunlight, and everything else. You wouldn’t feel the heat giving you a sunburn, either.

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Gabby Bundled Up On A Fall Day

Gabby Bundled Up On A Fall Day 

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It Is Rough for Her Sister

Katie is Gabby’s big sister (age 8 in the photo below), and she finds it a little hard to deal with a sibling that can’t feel pain. Of course, her parents are always worried about Gabby because of her condition. However, they can’t fight like normal siblings, either. If things get a little heated, a slap or punch could do significant damage, and Gabby wouldn’t even feel it. The good news is that the two sisters get along quite well.

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Gabby And Her Sister Katie

Gabby And Her Sister Katie

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What Condition Does She Have

Gabby has a rare disorder that’s called congenital insensitivity to pain. This means that the nerves sensing pain work, but the brain doesn’t recognize it as pain. However, her other senses, including touch and taste, are normal. Another issue for Gabby is that she suffers from anhydrosis. She can’t sweat at all, so it’s a challenge to keep her body at a stable temperature. Therefore, she doesn’t feel that she’s overheated, and she can’t perspire to cool herself.

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The Five Senses

The Five Senses

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Broken Bones Galore

It’s not easy to live with a child who can’t feel any physical pain. When Gabby first learned to walk, the world opened to new and dangerous things. Every time she took a step, her parents worried that she would fall and break an ankle or sprain something. She has had countless sprained and broken bones. At one time, she also broke her jaw. The issue is that Gabby doesn’t know how badly she is injured. Usually, she might feel some pressure, but that’s not enough to indicate something is very wrong.

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X Ray Of A Broken Jaw

X Ray Of A Broken Jaw

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Just an Average Teenager

As Gabby grew up, it was easier for her and her parents. She could use her other senses to determine when something was wrong or burning. Therefore, she stopped touching hot things, chewing obsessively, and poking at her eyes. Soon, the goggles could come off, and she could live life normally. Gabby just had to be a little more careful than the other teens. The one good thing here is that she doesn’t let her condition control her life or own her.

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Gabby, Age 10

Gabby, Age 10

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She’s Funny, Intelligent, and Fun to Be Around

She’s got a lot of friends now, and they all think that she’s hilarious and smart. Gabby gets good grades in school and focuses well in her classes. Her parents believe that she’s a joy to be around because she’s outgoing and personable. This young girl doesn’t let her condition affect her life whenever that’s possible. Plus, she doesn’t focus on what she can’t do or feel. Instead, Gabby is just like any other young teenager.

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Gabby As A Teen

Gabby As A Teen

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It’s Much Easier to Handle Her Condition

Gabby’s growing up, so she understands what not to do. As a baby, her parents couldn’t tell her to stop chewing her tongue; she didn’t understand what they were saying. She did learn to say “ouch” when she bumped into something so that someone was alerted to the issue and could watch for any troubling signs. Now, she’s learned that, even though she doesn’t feel it, it could still be painful or damaging.

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Gabby, Her Mom, And Her Sister

Gabby, Her Mom, And Her Sister

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There Are Still Some Issues

It’s not all roses living in a world without pain. One day, Gabby told her father that her back felt funny. She couldn’t describe it any better, but her parents took a look. They pressed on it, noticed a warm bump, and took her to the doctor the next day for a scheduled appointment. Once X-rays were taken, it was found out that Gabby had broken her back! You may wonder how that’s even possible, but when you can’t feel it, you just don’t know.

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Gabby Posing For A Picture

Gabby Posing For A Picture

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Katie Grows up Too

With so much focus on Gabby, you may think that her sister wants to be in the spotlight. However, she feels that she does get plenty of attention just from being the sister of a girl who can’t feel pain. Katie does believe that they are different types of focus, but she’s just happy that her sister is doing so well. Though there are trials and fights between them, there always seems to be an adventure with the family, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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The Family On The Couch

The Family On The Couch

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Gabby Likes Talking on the Phone

Though most people marvel at her ‘superpower’ of not being able to feel pain, she just likes talking on the phone to her friends. One friend, in particular, is Taylor, who has been with her since almost the beginning. From first grade on, they were close, and it has followed them through their teenage years. Taylor says Gabby is an amazing person, but she did get picked on a bit. This hurt them both, but they’d work through it.

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Gabby Talking On The Phone To Her Friend Taylor

Gabby Talking On The Phone To Her Friend Taylor

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What Are Her Plans?

Of course, being a teenager is never easy. When you add a rare condition to the mix, it can get downright ruthless. She’s been in the same school district with most of the same people, so it’s not as bad. Her classmates know her and like her. The teachers think that she is a great student. Gabby is always trying to learn new things, such as playing the saxophone. With that said, she’s got a lot of big dreams that she’d like to take on, but are they possible?

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Saxophone Like Gabby Played

Saxophone Like Gabby Played

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Her One Desire

Just because you don’t feel pain doesn’t mean you don’t get hurt. Gabby’s father, Steve, has excellent insurance, but it doesn’t cover everything she needs. Her one desire is to have a full set of top and bottom teeth. Remember, hers had to be removed permanently so that she didn’t continue biting her tongue and fingers. Now, she’s grown up and almost an adult. She’d like to have teeth so that she can eat what she wants and feel ‘normal.’

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Gabby Looking At Her Senior Picture

Gabby Looking At Her Senior Picture

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Battling the Insurance Company

Her parents want this for her more than anything. However, her dad’s insurance company claims that dental isn’t part of the coverage. Since she is legally blind and has a legal medical condition, she is on state aid. This insurance only offers dental implants and restoration when it is medically necessary. Gabby seems to think it is, but the insurance company didn’t. The Mayo Clinic stepped in and gave her a set of false teeth aligners for her senior picture.

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Gabby Holding Her Senior Picture Showing Her With Teeth

Gabby Holding Her Senior Picture Showing Her With Teeth

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Gabby with Her New Teeth

She was so impressed and saw a significant improvement. However, she wanted new teeth through implantation. Gabby feels confident that she can now be careful enough not to do more damage to her tongue or cheeks. It took a lot of effort and two crowdfunding accounts, but she finally got her wish. You can see in the next photo that she has a beautiful smile, her face is more proportionate, and she is smiling just like she always does.

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Gabby With Teeth

Gabby With Teeth

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Here’s Another Little Girl Who Had a Similar Story

Though this condition is quite rare, Gabby isn’t the only one who suffers from it. Ashlyn Blocker is another girl who has congenital insensitivity to pain. She also has anhidrosis. Therefore, she can’t feel pain at all and doesn’t sweat. Her parents did much the same thing as Gabby’s. They learned early on that she would be different and that they would have to watch her every second of the day.

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Ashlyn Being Given A Check Up

Ashlyn Being Given A Check Up

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A Fearless Child with a Chillingly Scary Condition

Most parents want their kids to be fearless so that they’ll try new things, learn from their mistakes, and be strong-willed adults. However, what happens when your child wants to play and jump and cartwheel through life and can’t feel pain? She could break a wrist and not know it. Of course, some injuries draw blood, which would indicate something is wrong. Not all problems do, though, which makes it worrisome for the parents.

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Ashlyn Working A Puzzle

Ashlyn Working A Puzzle

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How Her School Copes with Meals

For most children, you put hot food on the plate and send them on their way. That can’t happen with Ashlyn because of her condition. She’d eat scalding-hot food and not blink an eye. Therefore, the teachers have to put ice in her chili and make sure her meals are room temperature before they give it to her. Though it probably doesn’t take much effort, it’s still quite amazing to consider that these people are willing to go the extra mile for her protection.

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Ashlyn On Christmas Morning

Ashlyn On Christmas Morning

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Can She Go Outside and Play?

Most parents worry about their kids on the playground but imagine how much more difficult it would be if your child couldn’t feel pain. She could fall and break off a tooth and not even know it. Likewise, she could twist her ankle and still run around and play without knowing something bad happened. At school, a teacher’s aide is always within 15 feet of Ashlyn, watching her play and keeping her away from the jungle gym – to Ashlyn’s dismay.

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Photo Of A Thumbtack Being Stuck Into A Finger Ashlyn Wouldn't Feel It

Photo Of A Thumbtack Being Stuck Into A Finger Ashlyn Wouldn’t Feel It

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Wouldn’t It Be Good Not to Feel Pain

Most people would think that it is a good thing never to feel pain. You could impress your friends with tricks they could never handle. However, that also means you could do significant damage to your body without knowing it. What if you broke your foot, and it healed incorrectly because you never knew it was broken? Pain is your body’s way of saying something isn’t right. Sadly, Ashlyn didn’t have that indicator.

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Ashlyn As A 12 Year Old

Ashlyn As A 12 Year Old

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Did She Cry a Lot as a Baby

Because she couldn’t feel any pain from birth, people often believe she never cried as a baby. However, she still felt hunger and annoyance with a dirty diaper. Yes, she cried, but it was never from pain. One time, she developed a horrible diaper rash that caused her mother pain, but she never even sniffled. The doctors dismissed that she wasn’t crying and gave her a treatment plan to clear up the rash.

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Ashlyn As A Baby Swaddled In Blankets

Ashlyn As A Baby Swaddled In Blankets

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How Did Her Parents Find Out

The diaper rash aside, Ashlyn was like any other normal, healthy baby. However, at six-months-old, her poor eye was bloodshot and swollen. She was treated for pink eye, but it didn’t work. Her parents took her to an ophthalmologist, where it was found that she had a significant corneal abrasion. Ashlyn was not crying or anything; she didn’t even know something was wrong! Because of this, her eye doctor referred them to a children’s hospital in Jacksonville, FL.

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Ashlyn As A Toddler

Ashlyn As A Toddler

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What Happened after That

Her parents got her an appointment at the clinic, but it took a while to get a date. Before they made it there, Ashlyn had rubbed large red splotches all over her nose. She’d also chewed off a part of her tongue. The clinicians took blood samples and brain scans, but all tests were inconclusive. They had to continue with more testing over the next 18 months. These doctors were puzzled and couldn’t find out why she would hurt herself or how she could feel no pain from it.

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Image Of A Brain Scan

Image Of A Brain Scan

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At Last – An Answer

At one point, a nerve biopsy was taken from her leg. She’d run and play as all children do, and the stitches would get ripped out. Finally, the doctors found out what was wrong with Ashlyn. Her mother was in such shock; she had to have it written down so that she wouldn’t forget it. Congenital insensitivity to pain was the diagnosis, and the doctor swore that Ashlyn was the only one who had it because it was so rare.

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Photo Of A Baby's Foot About To Touch Something Sharp

Photo Of A Baby’s Foot About To Touch Something Sharp

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Not What They Were Hoping

The doctor wasn’t very helpful when he said they were the only parents dealing with such an issue. Plus, he said there wasn’t much they could do for their daughter. Really, they just had to watch her and hope for the best. In a sense, he was telling them “Good luck” because he wasn’t sure what else to do. Her mother chose to do more research on the disease, but there wasn’t much about it. Most of them were full of early death and mutilations, which wasn’t altogether comforting.

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Good Luck Image

Good Luck Image

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She Liked to Bite Herself

All young children like to chew and bite. It’s a way for them to improve their motor skills and help their teeth grow in. However, when Ashlyn was two years old, her mother constantly wrapped her daughter’s hands in gauze so that she couldn’t bite them. Though it’s possible to tell a two-year-old no, it doesn’t often work. She wasn’t old enough to understand the consequences. That said, she would still have suffered from them, especially if she had bitten to the bone.

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Ashlyn With Her Hands Wrapped

Ashlyn With Her Hands Wrapped

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Did She Grow Up Normal

Most parents have many milestones they’d like to complete with their kids. For example, nothing is more exhilarating than a first bike ride or roller-skating fun. However, her parents couldn’t let her do those things (and more) because she could be seriously injured. Ashlyn would rub her arms so much that they’d be raw, too. Therefore, she always had her arms wrapped in gauze. Even so, she still led a relatively normal life and didn’t miss what she’d never done before.

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Ashlyn As A Teen Riding A Bike

Ashlyn As A Teen Riding A Bike

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Why Was It so Bad for Her Not to Feel Pain

Most people can’t fathom all the reasons why it’s not good to feel pain. Ashlyn would rub her arms and night and grind her teeth. It got to the point where her parents would let her sleep with them, so they could stop her from doing these things. One time, her mother noticed blood coming from her head. She lifted her headband to realize that it had been cutting into her skin most of the day!

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Ashlyn Wearing A Headband For A Pageant

Ashlyn Wearing A Headband For A Pageant

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How the Other School Children React

It is only common for everyone to find out about a child with such a rare disease. Her classmates often ask if she’s Superman. Some ask if she could feel it if they punched her or if she could walk across burning coals without experiencing the burning sensation. The answers are no, no, and yes. It’s shocking that she could get stabbed in the arm without feeling any pain. However, she does feel texture and pressure.

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Ashlyn Having A Large Needle Inserted Into Her Wrist

Ashlyn Having A Large Needle Inserted Into Her Wrist

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She’s on the News

When Ashlyn found out there weren’t many people like her (but there were some), her parents set out to find them and get help. They contacted a local newspaper that ran a piece on her in 2004. From there, the Associated Press took it over, and Ashlyn’s picture was with John Kerry and George Bush on the MSN home page. Her grandmother noticed it first and told the family that she was on the internet. However, Good Morning America had just called to ask for an interview.

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Ashlyn Posing For A Picture

Ashlyn Posing For A Picture

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What She Has Done about It

No one likes to be told they’re different, and Ashlyn is no different. However, it’s hard for others to understand her. They may gawk or ask insensitive questions. She’s used to it, but that doesn’t mean others ever feel that way. Ashlyn had a dream one night about starting a camp for children like her who couldn’t feel pain. Her mother immediately started on this project and Camp Painless But Hopeful was born.

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Ashlyn Playing With Camp Members

Ashlyn Playing With Camp Members

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Everyone was Supportive

Though the Blockers took on most of the work, everyone seemed supportive of Ashlyn and her decision to help others. Her family made stickers and T-shirts. One local radio station offered a free ad to promote it. Fundraisers were started at local grocery stores. Ashlyn sold things she made (bracelets and purses) to her friends to help raise money, as well. It was a family affair to be sure, and soon, they had enough money to make Ashlyn’s dream come true.

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Ashlyn With Her Friends

Ashlyn With Her Friends

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Was It a Success

Of course, raising the money and wanting it badly didn’t necessarily mean that others would want to join. Who knew where those other families were and if they’d have the means and time to go to a camp? Eight families ended up signing up for the first session, which was held in November. Yes, that does seem a little odd, doesn’t it? However, one issue with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain is that you don’t sweat. Therefore, it was a little cooler for the kids.

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Camp Painless But Hopeful From 2011

Camp Painless But Hopeful From 2011

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Ashlyn’s Mom Found Hope

It’s not easy for a mother who has a child with a medical condition. Sometimes, you feel all alone. Ashlyn had found others like her, but what about her parents? Well, one of the first children to attend the camp was Isaac. His mother, Carrie Brown, had many of the same issues and didn’t know where to turn. This camp was a way for her to meet other parents who didn’t judge her overbearing and overprotective ways.

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Ashlyn's Mom With Carrie

Ashlyn’s Mom With Carrie

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Where She’s at Now

Ashlyn is faring quite well. She has a whole slew of friends through the camp and often works there as a camp counselor. Having gone through it all before, she can help some of the newer members. Though most people wouldn’t call her normal, her family and community know otherwise. She’s just a regular teenaged girl who likes to help others, is smart, and knows what she wants. If you’d like to help, you can donate time or money to the camp.

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Ashlyn Playing The Clarinet

Ashlyn Playing The Clarinet

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