Born in 2011 to Brandy and Kevin Epling, of Winlock, Emree was diagnosed with a congenital brain malformation called hemimegalencephaly.
Brandy and Kevin Epling of Winlock take their 6 year old daughter Emree to pick out a Christmas tree. A fundraiser will be held on July 29 in Chehalis to help the family pay for a wheelchair accessible van.
Born with a serious brain condition, Emree Epling’s life was not going to be that of a normal child. She is unable to walk or talk, and when picked up off the couch she does not help her carrier.
Born in 2011 to Brandy and Kevin Epling, of Winlock, Emree was diagnosed with a congenital brain malformation called hemimegalencephaly.
It is a rare neurological disease in which one side of the brain is abnormally larger than the other, according to information from John Hopkins University. It causes seizures and mental disabilities. Surgery is considered to be the best option to control seizures.
Despite her illnesses, she enjoys music and toys that make noise, aunt Jennifer VanDeHey said. She is unable to see, so she relies on sound and touch. When Emree recognizes someone she knows, her face lights up and she gets excited.
On July 29 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., a spaghetti feed and silent auction will be held to help the Epling family make a down payment on a wheelchair accessible van for their 6-year-old daughter.
The fundraiser will be at the Forest Grange at 3397 Jackson Highway in Chehalis. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
“When she was little it was easy enough to cart her around,” VanDeHey said.
As she has grown, it has been harder to pick her up and get her in and out of the family’s SUV. Her 80-pound wheelchair has to be folded and placed in the back as well.
The goal of the fundraiser is to help the family make a down payment on a $70,000 van, VanDeHey said. A new van costs around $48,000, and the upgrades to make it wheelchair accessible cost an additional $20,000 or so.
“Whatever we raise will go toward the van,” she said.
Although Emree has not been alive long, she has gone through a lot, VanDeHey said. Due to her illness, Emree is unable to see, and she had to have one eye removed.
VanDeHey said it was a painful procedure, but when her niece woke up from surgery, her family could see she felt better.
Over her short life, she has had two brain surgeries, an implant has been installed to help control her seizures and she has spent several months in a hospital bed instead of her own.
But through it all, Emree has been tough and resilient, VanDeHey said.
