Meet Holly

Holly Taylor isn't even ten months old, but she's already making headlines because of her health struggles and her fighting spirit. She's just been diagnosed with schizencephaly -- an extremely rare developmental birth defect characterized by abnormal slits, or clefts, in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, individuals with clefts in both hemispheres typically experience developmental delays, delays in speech and language skills, and problems with brain-spinal cord communication. Individuals with clefts in only one hemisphere (called unilateral clefts) are often paralyzed on one side of the body, but may have average to near-average intelligence. Individuals with schizencephaly may also have an abnormally small head, mental retardation, partial or complete paralysis, or poor muscle tone. Most will experience seizures. Some individuals may have an excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain called hydrocephalus.

Holly's family is launching this website to serve as a home base for fundraising initiatives on Holly's behalf. Check back frequently for updates. If you'd like to be added to Holly's email list, please email Holly's family.