District baby girl in need

FORT FRANCES—Kenna Sinninghe is an eight-and-a half month old baby girl from Rainy River who is facing an uphill battle.
She was born with a cleft lip and palate, a diaphragmatic hernia, and a serious heart condition. She only weighs about 14 pounds and presently is relying on a feeding tube for her nourishment.
“We try feeding her orally,” said her mother, Nicki. “But she still can’t take a full bottle, so we have to switch back to the tube when she isn’t getting enough to eat.”
At the tender age of just two days, doctors operated on her to repair the hernia. The cleft lip also was recently repaired, but the palate is still on the list of required surgeries.
But the damage to her little heart was the most serious situation Kenna was facing, so she was on a waiting list in Alberta for heart surgery. To prepare for this future surgery, she was taken to Winnipeg for an echocardiogram.
The results of this recent visit were both surprising and hopeful.
“They said that they’ve never seen this before but the heart condition may have corrected itself,” said Nicki. “They don’t want to get our hopes up too much, but it does look promising.”
In the meantime, they wait and hope the doctors are correct. Another echocardiogram in three months may give the medical staff the answers they are looking for.
Kenna also will be heading to London, Ont. in the near future for a general check-up with specialists in the hospital there.
“She really is a little fighter,” Nicki beamed.
Despite the problems, the family is facing each medical hurdle with renewed optimism. Even the costs of travelling and living on the road have been handled for them.
“The hospital provides us with tickets,” explained Nicki. “We just have to pay the taxes on each ticket and we’ve always been given accommodation at Ronald McDonald House.”
Still, there are many additional costs that are not handled by insurance—and there also is the disruption to family life. Nicki has not been able to go back to work and must constantly be with Kenna in order to handle the feeding tube and other daily routines.
To help the Sinninghe family handle the hidden costs of their medical visits, the Rainy River District “Spring Gathering,” coming up on Saturday, April 5 at the Chapple Recreation Centre in Barwick, is holding a silent auction.
Kenna and her entire family will need the continued support and prayers of their friends and the community in the months ahead. Come out to the “Spring Gathering” and help lend a hand.
(Fort Frances Times)