Contributed photo
FUNDRAISER SET — A fund-raising supper will be held for 5-year-old Faith McNally of Island Falls on Sunday.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
ISLAND FALLS — The southern Aroostook community is being asked to rally to the aid of a 5-year-old girl in need of medical assistance.
Faith McNally, the adopted daughter of Bruce and Beverly McNally of Island Falls, is an adorable 5-year-old with spina bifida and life-threatening seizures.
“Whenever I see my niece, Faith, she asks me to take her temperature,” said Michele King, chief administrative officer for Brave Hearts. “I put my hand on her head and tell her ‘you’re normal.’ She insists she’s 98.4. But really, normal doesn’t describe Faith; she’s really extraordinary.”
When King first met her several years ago, she could only scream as a method of communication. Three years later, the youngster counts, sings, prays and tugs at your heart strings when she says, “I need a hug.”
Bruce and Beverly took Faith into their home, first as a foster child and then deciding to adopt her.
“They knew there would be challenges because of her many health issues,” King said. “Although this creates difficulties and hurdles, with the help of family, friends and medical assistance, Faith is progressing really well. Everything can be managed, scheduled, and adjusted in their lifestyle to accommodate such a special child.”
One of the biggest challenges is the fear of seizures, which could become life threatening if they happen when she is unattended, like when she is lying in her bed at night.
“One morning, they found Faith had a seizure in the night and she was unresponsive,” King said. “Since then, they live in fear of being asleep when their child needs them the most; this is when CARES enters their story.”
CARES (Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services) is a not-for-profit organization in Concordia, Kan. that trains and matches “assistance dogs” with the various needs they serve.
“Although it is still a mystery how a dog can sense a seizure, having a dog be able to alert caregivers’ gives peace where anxiety previously resided,” King said. “Faith, her mom, and her big brother and registered nurse, Shaun, go to Concordia this month to bond and train with their new friend.”
This life-giving animal will cost them $2,500 in addition to the expense of travel and a hotel. Brave Hearts is sponsoring a fundraiser for Faith on Sunday, March 10, at 4:30 p.m. at the Island Falls Municipal Building. This free spaghetti supper will accept donations at the door and the “Friends of Faith” will raffle several quilts.
For more information, or to make a donation, contact Brave Hearts at 207-463-2126.
