**MOST IMPORTANTLY

I hope that each time you wear the shirt, or see someone wearing it, it reminds you to say a quick prayer for Elee and a prayer of gratitude for whatever good is happening in your life at that moment. These shirts symbolize a bond of a community that has rallied behind Elee in her hardest days and cheered her on during the best of days. It brings a huge smile to my face to see her supporters out in the wild and for that, I THANK YOU! Seeing her support gets me through the tough times too. We don't make a TON of money off of these shirts ( through every little bit helps and is so appreciated). It is more about the community and support and prayer reminders. There is info at the bottom if you would like to donate strictly to us!

Follow her progress and daily adventures at @pawsforelee on instagram

Elee's Story

I thank God everyday for seizure free days and full recovery on other days. We have been so blessed with an amazing community and can never thank each of you enough for caring and loving sweet Elee.

Eleanor was diagnosed with refractory epilepsy at 9 months old after I found her unresponsive in her car seat. She spent the next 39 days inpatient at Children?s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) and Medical University of SC (MUSC). Despite Elee being on multiple seizure medications three times a day and a strict ketogenic diet for Epilepsy, she continues to have clustered seizures in her sleep. This puts her at greater risk for SUDEP and prolonged seizures that can cause permanent damage. She was diagnosed with an extremely rare chromosomal disorder called Ring 14 Syndrome June of 2023. This is a life long. life limiting condition. It is so rare that it is hard to say how it will effect her in the long run. Currently, refractory epilepsy, hypotonia, delayed development ( most notably speech, then gross & fine motor) , sleep apnea, and hearing are the biggest struggles day to day. The hypotonia effects her breathing as well as her external strength so this is something we watch very closely.

The medical community does not expect Elee to grow out of her seizures. Last year in 2023, we raised over $20k for a seizure alert service dog. This is where the Paws for Elee campaign was born! The drawing on the shirt is an actual drawing of Elee at around 18 months old with our current dog Zappa. She will get her seizure alert dog sometime in 2025 and we are so so excited!!!

She has spent most of her life battling seizures. Now, as a 2.5 year old, dino, dog, spooky, grinch loving little girl, you would think she's the happiest kid in the world!

Why do we need prayers and help with fundraising?

This next year she has several big trips planned for intensive therapies ( 3 weeks on Daniel Island and 2 weeks in Dallas, TX) and medical appointments around the country. She goes to MUSC at least once a month and sometimes needs to stay several days. We also have an appointment with ring 14 specialist in CO in March where we will stay several days. Elee has several procedures at MUSC happening at the end of August as well. While most of her medications are paid for, its about $200-$300 a month out of pocket and sometimes more when she is sick. She also has several hospitalizations throughout the year that are unplanned and unpredictable. These expenses and trips add up quickly! I am also constantly trying out the latest therapy interventions and programs and keeping her immersed in activities to improve her strength and abilities.

If you are interested in making a donation instead of buying a shirt, I have venmo and paypal. Just add it in the note that it is for Elee :)

PayPal : @pawsforelee

Venmo : @hilary-r-bassett

God Bless You and Thank You,

Hilary and Elee Bassett