The La Pine Firefighters’ union is asking for the public’s help supporting the family of an area toddler facing insurmountable medical bills.
Braelynn Rochlin suffers from random debilitating seizures which have necessitated frequent trips to the hospital in Bend and flights to OHSU in Portland.
Just one flight to Portland can often be a life-altering event for a family that can result in a huge financial burden.
La Pine Fire officials say the 20-month-old has been flown to Portland five times in the last eight months.
While Braelynn’s parents continue to work tirelessly with her doctors to find a treatment that helps, the La Pine Professional Firefighter’s Union has supported Braelynn and her family by connecting the family with the Family Advocacy Network (FAN) and The Giving Plate, gifted the family a FireMed membership (air and ground) and is pursuing sponsorship for Braelynn with the Sparrow Club.
“It’s random and it’s scary and there’s no answers really,” the girl’s mother, Kyleen Gapinski, said about her condition.
She said doctors in Bend, Portland and even Seattle are stumped by the causes of the seizures, calling it a “mystery.”
The Union hopes to help the family by starting a GoFundMe Page.
We’ll hear more from Braelynn’s mother Wednesday on Central Oregon Daily News.
