A benefit for 10-month-old Ali Lohnes is going on today and Thursday at Sioux Manufacturing just south of Devils Lake.
Indian tacos and tacos in a bag will be served each day from 11 a.m. until gone with the proceeds going to Sammie Charboneau and Dylan Lohnes, parents of little Ali.
Ali was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect from a small hole in her abdomen to the right of her belly button, which caused her small intestine to grow on the outside of her stomach.
The youngster underwent surgery when she was just two days old to put the intestine back in her stomach and enclose it.
A handful of setbacks followed which led to three more surgeries for little Ali.
“Even though she had wonderful doctors, nurses and care, she still wasn't eating much,” says Alverta Charboneau, her grandmother.
That led to Ali's transfer to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she underwent a transplant evaluation.
After a week and a half of evaluations, the medical people told Sammie, Dylan and other family members that they had other options.
Hopefully, a transplant would not be needed.
After three weeks, Ali underwent a fifth surgery where the doctors tried to lengthen the small intestine.
It turns out little Ali had twice as much bowel left than doctors had thought.
The doctors did remove her gall bladder and did a liver biopsy, which turned out okay.
Today Ali is recovering, making progress and bouncing back to her once bubbly self.
She's still trying to catch up on her feedings and is anxious to go back home to her mom and dad.
Sammie and Dylan may face further medical expenses and trips back and forth to Fargo and Omaha.
Because of that, grandmother Alverta is hoping to establish a fundraising account for them at Bremer Bank in Devils Lake.
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A benefit for 10-month-old Ali Lohnes is going on today and Thursday at Sioux Manufacturing just south of Devils Lake.
Indian tacos and tacos in a bag will be served each day from 11 a.m. until gone with the proceeds going to Sammie Charboneau and Dylan Lohnes, parents of little Ali.
Ali was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect from a small hole in her abdomen to the right of her belly button, which caused her small intestine to grow on the outside of her stomach.
The youngster underwent surgery when she was just two days old to put the intestine back in her stomach and enclose it.
A handful of setbacks followed which led to three more surgeries for little Ali.
“Even though she had wonderful doctors, nurses and care, she still wasn't eating much,” says Alverta Charboneau, her grandmother.
That led to Ali's transfer to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she underwent a transplant evaluation.
After a week and a half of evaluations, the medical people told Sammie, Dylan and other family members that they had other options.
Hopefully, a transplant would not be needed.
After three weeks, Ali underwent a fifth surgery where the doctors tried to lengthen the small intestine.
It turns out little Ali had twice as much bowel left than doctors had thought.
The doctors did remove her gall bladder and did a liver biopsy, which turned out okay.
Today Ali is recovering, making progress and bouncing back to her once bubbly self.
She's still trying to catch up on her feedings and is anxious to go back home to her mom and dad.
Sammie and Dylan may face further medical expenses and trips back and forth to Fargo and Omaha.
Because of that, grandmother Alverta is hoping to establish a fundraising account for them at Bremer Bank in Devils Lake.
