For the past year, I have been following a blog documenting the struggles and recovery of a very brave little girl. CiaranNeiman.wordpress.com.
On July 17, 2010 The Neiman's are hosting a wine tasting / silent auction to fundraise for Ciaran's recovery and I jumped at the chance to help. I have donated these two, 5x7 prints to the silent auction.
Ciaran Quinn Neiman
“The Warrior Princess”
Ciaran is a beautiful and happy little girl who celebrated her 3rd birthday on June 20, 2010. She loves to smile and laugh, just like her parents Doug and Shannon Neiman.
Last July, Ciaran contracted a very serious E. Coli infection from an unknown source. Unfortunately, the infection lead to life threatening complications – a disease called Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS).
In Ciaran’s case, while fighting HUS, she suffered a series of micro strokes. As a result, she has lost normal function of her limbs, as well as the ability to speak clearly and eat normally. Fortunately, her cognitive abilities remain intact.
After 5 months in three different hospitals, Ciaran is on the road to recovery. Her rehabilitation includes intensive physical, occupational, speech, and eating therapies on a daily basis. She has been nicknamed “The Warrior Princess” as she tackles these therapies with amazing determination. The process is not easy and takes a great deal of time, but Ciaran has the potential to retrain other portions of her brain and restore her loss of function.
Intensive therapy over the next year is critical to her recovery.
Most recently, Ciaran went through a 3 week concentrated physical therapy program at The Napa Center. This rehabilitation program goes well beyond traditional therapies and has been able to produce results far above the standard therapy. Doug and Shannon hope to continue with these types of specialized treatment programs to help Ciaran achieve a full recovery.
If you would like to make a donation or submit an item to the silent auction, send to: Monica Kennedy, 745 Toyopa Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. Make check payable to Ciaran Neiman. All proceeds & donations will go directly to Ciaran’s Rehabilitation.
