Shawn's recovery has been inspirational. Although his rare congenital anomaly is only 1 of 200 cases ever recorded, there are so many other children and families that are affected by conditions similar to Shawn's. Rachel and I were shocked to find out that there were very few resources for families like ours. This is what made us decide that we would do whatever we could to help prevent another family from feeling helpless and alone like we did. That is when we decided to start Shawn's Anomaly (www.shawnsanomaly.org)
Congenital Anomalies affect 1 in 30 children and are the leading cause of infant deaths according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike several non-profit organizations that help bring awareness to conditions such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Autism, Diabetes, and Pediatric Cancer; Shawn’s Anomaly is the only non-profit dedicated to the mission of providing education, hope, and help to families affected by congenital anomalies. That sobering statistic pushes the leaders of the non-profit to accomplish the mission. Shawn’s Anomaly accomplishes this mission by focusing on the following goals:
- Fund congenital anomaly research project
- Aid families in gathering all information regarding research and treatment of their child’s congenital anomalies Provide licensed counseling options free to families affected by congenital anomalies
- Provide a centralized location where families can find information and connect with other families going through similar experiences.
- Provide supplemental assistance to families while children are undergoing surgical procedures
An example of how we complete this mission is by funding medical research like what is done at Texas Children's Hospital (Hospital where Shawn was treated)
Texas Children’s Hospital is ranked #9 in the US and #1 in Texas – in pediatric urology by U.S.News & World Report. The urology service provides medical/surgical care for children with genitourinary problems related to congenital birth defects or trauma and medical conditions such as recurrent urinary tract infections and dysfunctional voiding patterns. Patients from birth to 19 years of age are seen by self and physician referral.
The Shawn's Anomaly Research Fund was created to specifically to:
1. Determine links between Shawn's conditions
2. Study other possible cases from other hospitals that may have common denominators to Shawn's conditions.
3. Determine what may have caused the conditions to determine if it was hereditary or from the environment.
4. Establish a procedural plan for any future child or pregnant mother that is identified with conditions like Shawn's or Rachel's.
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| Dr. Lawrence Cisek |
Texas Children’s Hospital is to be praised for completing the research and procedures that have helped Shawn be like any normal happy child his age. Special thanks is given to Dr. Cisek and his team who administered the groundbreaking surgery on Shawn and his continued efforts to help others through the Shawn's Anomaly research.
Texas Children's Hospital gathers a large grasp on Shawn's conditions and seeks to find an effective way to treat, prevent, or repair other children that may suffer from this. TCH will be the innovator and leader for treatment. In return, children from all over the world will come to TCH to seek treatment, doctors from all the world will look to TCH for guidance, and parents can gather information at the sole source of Texas Children's Hospital.
A goal has been set of $25,000 and must be completed before the research can start. There are going to be several ways to achieve this goal and how you can contribute including volunteering, joining Team Shawn's Anomaly as an supporting athlete, and many many more fundraisers coming soon, but ultimately your donations will greatly help our cause.Remember, nothing is impossible right? Imagine knowing that you helped with this groundbreaking endeavor.
Please consider becoming an advocate for this endeavor regardless of where you live. Ask your friends, your companies and corporate partners for matching donations, and maybe even your enemies if they can help us reach our $25,000 goal. Your help will prevent thousands of children and parents from ever having to go through what the Murphy family had to go through ever again.
