Fed a few weeks of living, Florida babies are thriving today. And it would not have been possible without the generosity of an anonymous donor who covered her medical expenses.
When Bill and Meg Longhenry welcomed their second child, Millie in August 2023, they were told she had no hope of survival. Rare and tough A congenital brain disorder known as Alobar Holoprosephaly (HPE).
HPE affects about 1 in 10,000 births, with most infants not surviving beyond the first week, statistics show. Millie was born with the most severe illness.
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“We found out she has Rare brain malformations Some parts of her brain were not developed, others were not developed properly,” Meg Longhenry said in an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital.
“Therefore, there is no division between the two hemispheres, and the center is hollow.”
Millie Longhenry (left) was diagnosed with a severe congenital brain malformation called Alobar Holoprosephaly (HPE) at two months old. (Photo by Nadine B.)
The doctor told her parents, “Millie should have been a miscarriage or stillbirth,” her mother told her. “She should have died the moment she was born.”
“They told us that over 95% of patients with this diagnosis would not survive after the first few months … and anyone who has survived in the past needs a huge amount of medical care, such as feeding tubes and respiratory tubes,” Bill Longhenry said. “There is no brain function normally.”
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After two months at the hospital, Millie was sent home in hospice care and was able to live in four or six months, but Long Henrys was not ready to give up.
“I had something else in mind with God,” Bill Longhenry said. “God had another planand only God could truly make that decision. ”
“Milly should have been a miscarriage or stillbirth,” the doctor told the baby’s parents.
A friend recommended that Millie’s parents connect with Dr. Brandon Crawford, a functional neurologist at Austin’s Neurolysis Center.
After reviewing the MRI and looking at Millie, Crawford said he saw “a great potential.”
Millie, depicted alongside her older brother Theo, was born in the most serious form of Arrobal Holoprosenfari. (Photo by Nadine B.)
While much of her brain is missing, the higher part “works relatively unharmed,” he said, he told Fox News Digital.
“I’ve started to get the idea that this kid is really striving. She’s not fading. She’s actually really fighting to live her life in this world.”
Contrary to the odds
Under Crawford’s care, Millie has launched a treatment plan that includes laser light therapy, acoustic wave therapy that stimulates nature using sound waves Healing processand primitive reflex integration helps babies learn to “re-acquire” brain body connections and to better control their movements.
Neurozobon Medical Director, Neurozobon, Dr. Marcela Madera, also works with Millie in treatment to ensure safety and efficacy.
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“It’s a combination of regenerative medicine, developmental functional neurology, and the development and fueling her brain and promoting the construction of neuroplasticity,” Crawford told Fox News Digital in a separate interview.
“For example, she can be clearly seen and responds to visual cues, but she does not have the majority of the visual pathways developed in her brain,” he continued. “That means her brain has rewired and remapped her ability to see. That’s the incredible part of her being able to do that.”
At Austin’s Neurosolution Center, Millie launched a treatment regime that includes laser light therapy, acoustic wave therapy that uses sound waves to stimulate the natural healing process, and primitive reflex integration. (Bill and Meglong Henry)
Bill Longhenry describes the treatment as “combining physiotherapy with neurological function.”
Today, according to Crawford, Millie is not only surviving, but also thriving – something very rare in this state.
“She continues Grow and develop “We’re now working on crawling with her. Her joint attention continues to improve, and even her ability to eat.”
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Crawford also begins to speak as he communicates with his brother Theo, saying “mom” and “daddy.”
“She has a spanky little personality, which is amazing,” he said. “To be honest, if you look at her, interact with her in person and then see her MRI, you wouldn’t think it was the same child.”
Millie laughs, laughs, responds to her name. She also understands people’s speeches and uses sign language, her family said. (Photo by Nadine B.)
Millie laughs, laughs, responds to her name. She also understands people’s speeches and uses sign language.
“If we hadn’t done a variety of things to help her brain and help her rewire, Millie wouldn’t be here today,” added Meg Longhenry.
I answered my prayer
Last month, Millie’s family faced the possibility of canceling her focus Neurotherapy Due to financial constraints.
Meg Longhenry recently informed Crawford that he had to cancel his next treatment due to lack of funds, but he told him to enter her anyway.
“I said, don’t worry about that, come on. There’s no way to drop care with Millie. We’re going too far.”
On the morning of March 27th, Crawford’s team was about to perform another performance. Regenerative medicine The procedure with Millie, they prayed for God’s intervention, he told Fox News Digital.
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“A few hours later, we got a random call,” he said. “It’s another patient following Milly’s story and she said, “I feel like I’m supposed to donate something for Milly’s case.”
Bill Longhenry is pictured holding her daughter Millie. “She continues to grow, grow, she is getting stronger,” he said. (Bill and Meglong Henry)
The donor offered to cover Millie’s unpaid balance for treatment – over $47,000.
“It’s impossible to understand that level of generosity from a stranger,” Bill Longhenry said.
“We must pursue this treatment, but not this Covered by insuranceso we’re just doing everything we can to make it work. ”
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Eventually, Longhenrys found out who covered Dr. Crawford’s previous patient, a medical expense. They could call her and thank her for the donation.
This anonymous gift clears a major financial hurdle, but the family shared that Millie’s journey is far from over.
Millie said she was portrayed with her brother “Theo. In March, an anonymous donor called the Neurosolution Center in Austin offered to cover Longhenrys’ unpaid medical debt. (Bill and Meglong Henry)
She needs follow-up therapy every 4-6 months, and travel for professional home equipment and ongoing care. Insurance is not covered.
“Finances are always really scary for us, but there’s no price I can put in her life,” Meg Longhelly said. “I’ll keep fighting and do what I have to do and make sure she can do the best life she can.”
“There’s no price I can put in her life.”
Family is also dependent Heavily on their faithaccording to her mother, she believes that Jesus worked to help save Milly’s life through Dr. Campbell.
“We serve God that is bigger than our greatest fear. He is the biggest doctor and will align us where we need it and who we need to be,” she said.
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“And they told us we wouldn’t see it again because it was so encouraging to see it grow.”
For more information about Millie’s Journey and Progress, you can visit MovingMountainsformillie.org on Instagram or @movingmountainsformillie.
