“Without God, everything is hard.” ~Copeli Cremeens
With permission from her parents, Chris and Tara Cremeens, I would like to tell you about a very special 11 year-old girl. Copeli Cremeens. Copeli has an incredible story and, even though she has her own website where she shares what she calls “her wonderful experiences of life, giving us a chance to go along”, we at Outlaw Crappie Poles would like to provide her with another platform to share her amazing story and adventures.
So, along we go with Copeli...
Copeli lives in Horse Cave, Kentucky with her mommy, daddy, and little sister where they raise jersey cattle on a small farm. Copeli says it's hard work but her and her Sissy love helping their daddy feed and water the animals. They also help out at the stock yard. There are a couple ponds on their property loaded with crappie, bass, bluegill, and catfish. One of her many talents and passions is being a lady angler. Copeli LOVES to fish! Copeli says her daddy is a pro and taught them all to fish very early in life. Copeli requires special equipment to aid her with her fishing adventures because she was born with spina bifida. But, before I dive into her fishing adventures, let me share a little about her first life adventure, which began while she was still in her mommy’s womb.
Copeli’s medical history:
Via blood tests, Chris and Tara found out at 18 weeks that there was a 40% chance Copeli would have spina bifida (neuro tube defect). At 19 weeks, it was confirmed at Louisville that she had myelomeningocele. There are 3 types of spina bifida and myelomeningocele is the worst. The Cremeens were then referred to Vanderbilt to see if they qualified for in utero surgery. They did qualify and at 22 weeks gestation, the surgeons went in and closed her back. This didn’t fix the problem; it just helped reduce having more damage done to her spine. They then closed Tara’s uterus and stomach back up and she went on bed rest until she was 37 weeks to the day. Then, they took Copeli. She was in the NICU for about a week getting tests run. The Cremeens were then sent home, only to return a few days later because Copeli had a super bug that nearly killed her. She had a UTI that had gone septic from cathing. She quit breathing at home. CPR was done and they went to the hospital. The local hospital stabilized her and called Nashville to come get us, then transport us from Glasgow to Vanderbilt, which is 1 1/2 hours away. They spent another 4 weeks in the hospital. 18 days of that, Copeli was on a ventilator. They came home after a vesicostomy, which is a surgical procedure that creates a small opening in the abdomen to allow urine to drain from the bladder. This was so her urine could drain freely into a diaper, so no more cathing. Copeli then had two brain surgeries and at 4 years old, had a surgery done to change how she would urinate. They had a mitrofanoff done, which is a surgical procedure that creates a tube connecting the bladder to the skin, allowing for the use of a catheter to empty the bladder. The procedure was semi-successful. She had to have a port type put in and she uses a mic-key button to urinate. Similar to cathing, but not from below; it’s located in her side. Copeli doesn’t have a shunt, but an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which is a surgical procedure that creates a bypass for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. She has also had multiple bladder surgeries and Botox to help her bladder relax so it can fill up.
"Don't feel sorry for me. I'm not going to stand for it. People say they can't stand fishing. I'm like, 'I can't stand either, but I still love it!' " ~Copeli Cremeens
“I’ve been accused of being a “cruel parent” by not doing everything FOR Copeli. My response is this: I’m not always going to be around. It is my responsibility as Copeli's parent to teach her how to do things herself, without any help.” ~Chris Cremeens
Stay tuned…
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