In many ways, Holly Sullivan is your typical 15-year old. She will be a junior at Raytown South High School in the fall. She plays the Viola and she is a member of the debate and forensics teams. She has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
But there is also something very special about Holly Sullivan. She has overcome difficult physical challenges to accomplish all the things she has done.
Holly was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome. According to amnioticbandsyndrome.com:
"Amniotic Band Syndrome occurs when the unborn baby (fetus) becomes entangled in fibrous string-like amniotic bands in the womb, restricting blood flow and affecting the baby’s development.
"Amniotic Band Syndrome can cause a number of different birth defects depending on which body part(s) is affected. If a band wraps tightly around a limb, the limb can actually be completely amputated. The baby may be born missing fingers, toes, part of an arm or leg. If the band is across the baby’s face it can cause cleft lip and palate. In a large number of cases the baby is also born with clubfeet. ABS is also the cause of numerous miscarriages, such as when a band becomes wrapped around the umbilical cord.
"ABS occurs randomly. It’s not genetic, nor is it caused by anything a pregnant Mom did or didn’t do during pregnancy. To date, no prenatal factors have been associated with ABS. It is extremely unlikely that ABS will affect a future pregnancy."
Holly was born with only 8 1/2 fingers and damage to both of her feet. On Monday, May 9, Holly and her family made the difficult decision to have her foot amputated. Holly will face a lengthy and expensive recovery. She will receive her first prosthetic in six weeks and will need many more throughout her life.
We are honored to tell Holly’s story and will follow her journey. To read more about Holly Sullivan’s story and to see how you can help, please go to Help Holly Run. There you will find a GoFundMe page that has been set up to help her family pay for these ongoing expenses.
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Rhiannon Ally can be reached at rhiannon.ally@kshb.com.
