When Aysha was six, she received the unexpected diagnosis of Chiari Malformation, meaning some of her brain tissue was extending into her spinal canal. The doctors soon discovered she also had Syringomyelia, which could damage the spinal cord and compress and injure the nerve fibers that carry information to and from the brain to the body. A cyst or cavity forms within the spinal cord which can expand and elongate over time, destroying it. There is no cure for Chiari Malformation, so surgery would be necessary to help her cerebral spinal fluid flow properly and hopefully resolve the cyst problem.

Aysha and Puppy went to ICU where they stayed for five difficult days. It was painful at first because they removed part of her skull, and inserted a titanium plate in her head. They also removed the first two vertebrae in her neck, but the surgery was a success! After six days Aysha went home, but she had to be careful not to bump her head while she played. Because of this her activities were limited, which was okay. What she really loved to do was play with her dolls.

During the next few years, Aysha had five different surgeries and multiple other procedures, all of which brought her back to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where she met kids with many different special healthcare needs.
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Aysha loved to play with her dolls and play act out her hospital experiences. While she was being treated at Children’s Healthcare she realized her medical challenges were invisible, hidden underneath her thick hair, but other kids with visible disabilities and medical needs didn’t have a doll that looked like them. That’s when her dream began…  

They all met for the first time on March 15, 2017, exactly seven years from the day Aysha had her surgery. Rick’s doll design turned out to be a great fit with Aysha’s idea because, at most joints, the dolls can be specially customized for limb-different children and could move like real kids do too!

Watching her dream come true has granted Aysha a unique perspective on her challenges. If it were not for her experience with Chiari Malformation, the surgery, and all the procedures that followed, there wouldn't be dolls being developed especially for these kids. Now she can hardly wait for the day when she can walk into a hospital and place a Just For You! Doll that’s been personalized for the child's disabilities, special or medical needs into the arms of the special child who's been waiting for it!