Welcome!

This Support Registry is built to give clear direction to everyone who wants to encourage the Burketts as they navigate life with Elle and Braven's rare Chronic Hemiplegic Migraine disorders, Elle's Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and all that comes with living as a family surviving multiple life altering Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Elle was hit by a car in 2017 and sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury which took her from a backpacking, kayaking, swing dancing, honors premed student to unable to drive most days, in high pain (her level 4 is the lowest she ever gets, which is distracting, requires anti nausia medication, and would have most people in bed in the dark in misery. She regularly spikes up to her levels 7, 8 and even 9 where she will become unresponsive and loose conciousness from the pain).

Braven sustained his TBI in 2023 when he took a 1 story fall that left him needing to relearn to eat, walk, sleep and communicate. While he has regained all of his skills except his sign language and self feeding success with utensils, he regresses with every Hemiplegic Migraine Attack and requires a high level of care and awareness to support his rapidly changing needs and capacities including aspiration and severe choking.

Elle's post TBI system needs low sensory input to handle the pain and stay grounded and process day to day needs. Braven's post TBI system requires high sensory input (spinning, speed, swinging, crashing) to organize and process. It is not an easy match.

While Elle is officially disabled and receives SSDI support, it barely covers groceries, let alone the medical bills and extras needed to care for two brave individuals with rare neurological diseases and brain injury (One month of Elle's abortive medication costs up to $800 alone!). Even more challenging is the physical and mental toll of being a caretaker for a medically complex child while dealing with her own medical complexities and disability, and for David to be holding it all together financiancially and physically as the only able bodied individual in the family.

The Burketts work extremely hard to be creative with life, home and finances to support their rare life, but the reality is sometimes they do need some extra energy and support sent their way in the means of nourishing food, housecleaning, child care and at times a financial boost to get around a tough corner.

This Support Registry is built to provide long term updates and creative ways to encourage them, in ways starting a Meal Train every time they have a long hospital stint just really can't provide. 

Those who would like to help the Burketts can:

Thank you for loving David, Elle and Braven!