Twins In Desperate Need Of Cranial Helmets
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – A South Florida mother who has spent her life overcoming challenges is now hoping someone will help her twin boys overcome their health problem.
Twenty-eight-year-old Erika Oldenbrook said life hasn't been easy for her. Her mom died when she was 13 and she said, "that's when my problems started. I ran away from home and got hooked up with the wrong people."
She got hooked on drugs, but has been clean for two years. Now, her life is dedicated to her twin sons, Ethan, the outgoing blond and Joshua, the more shy brunette.
"They're everything to me. They're my life. I love them very much," Oldenbrook said.
She's gotten help through the Salvation Army and lived in the Salvation Army's facility in Hollywood for five months. She goes to parenting classes regularly and got a job. She's also thankful for all the agencies that have helped afford her children a better life.
But, Holdenbrook needs more help for her two sons.
The back of Ethan and Joshua's head is flat. They need cranial helmets desperately. If they don't get them the effects throughout their lives could be severe.
"As they get older it could cause disfigurement," Holdenbrook said. "Their eyes could bulge out and their cheek bones could collapse."
The cranial helmets the boys need are not covered by insurance. Erika said it's hard to ask for help, but she'll do whatever it takes for her children.
"It's hard. I don't want to make decisions that affect them in a negative way," Erika said. "I don't want my past to affect their future."
The helmets are $2,650 each. That price covers the helmets and doctor visits. The family needs two helmets and they need them now because they should start wearing them by their first birthday. They turn one on May 14th, 2011.
When they turn one, the bones in their head start to fuse together and that's when the most damage can be done if they are not wearing the helmets.
If you can help call Neighbors for Neighbors at 305-597-4404 or click here.
