Family, friends come together to help cover medical costs

Family, friends come together to help cover medical costs

TEMPLETON — Abbey MacFarlane is a spark and bundle of energy with red pigtails flying. The three year old wears a long pink tutu and the blue shirt underneath her smile says, ‘I’d trade my brother for a cupcake.’

To see her constant energy, one would assume they are seeing health defined, but underneath the pink crinoline and ear-to-ear grin is a young girl with Cystic Fibrosis and a Cecostomy button that needs flushing multiple times a day.

“Because Abbey has so much trouble now with eating, digestion, and evacuation, she does not want to eat,” said her mother, Michelle McCrillis.

 The family has been bringing her to clinics in Boston while doctors work towards finding the cause of her gastrointestinal problems,

Abbey’s father, Robert MacFarlane, said when Abbey goes to Boston, the whole day is filled with appointments.

Mr. MacFarlane has been on disability since 2005 and has become Abbey’s caretaker while Ms. McCrillis works full-time to support the family.
Last weekend, friends and family held a benefit for Abbey at the Templeton Fish and Game Club. There were generous raffles, food and music. Many teachers from the Waterford School where Abbey attends classes, came to support the cause.

“Abbey loves her teachers,” said Ms. McCrillis. “They have just been so wonderful. While Abbey was in school one day, her button came out. The whole school shut down until the ambulance got there to get her to her doctors in Boston as quickly as possible. I was really nervous before that to send her to school. Before that day I was thinking of keeping her home. I was so afraid something would happen. They really made me feel much more secure about sending her.”

Each teacher that came through the door hugged Abbey and took a chance on a raffle.

Ms. McCrillis said that before Abbey was born, the doctors gave her a test and found she had a genetic marker for CF.

There are three other children in Abbey's family, Brynne, 13, Aaron, 10, and Julianne, 5. None have signs of CF.

Since her birth,  Abbey’s siblings have been doing whatever possible to help their youngest sister make it through. Julianne is a student at Waterford and is sometimes called on to help when the teachers think Abbey needs to see a familiar face or to hear words of encouragement. Aaron brought bracelets to his school and sold 20 to help raise funds for last week’s benefit.

Because Cystic Fibrosis causes mucus to build up in the lungs and pancreas Abbey needs  to wear a Percussion Vest  two times a day. According to her parents the vest cost over $7,000 and insurance will pay for half. 

For information on upcoming fundraising efforts visit http://www.gofundme.com/AbbeysCFbenefit.