EASTPORT, Maine — Friends and strangers alike in the Down East community of Eastport are rallying around the mother of a girl who has serious medical issues.
Three-year-old Rayleigh Boyd has several medical conditions, including cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system, and other organs. After her family lost their car in December, making sure Rayleigh gets timely medical care has been difficult.
Rayleigh loves to play with stuffed animals, being pushed in a swing, and getting tossed in the air. Her mother, Melissa, ensures her daughter has fun just like any other toddler, despite her complex medical needs.
Cystic fibrosis causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and other organs, leading to breathing problems and digestive issues. Rayleigh wears a vest with an air-pulse generator twice daily to loosen excess mucus. A nebulizer turns medication into an inhalable mist.
Rayleigh takes medication at every meal to treat pancreatic insufficiency, a symptom of cystic fibrosis. She has an eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (AFRID), which causes avoidance and aversion to food. The little girl was also born with a club foot, which has been corrected with casting and a brace. She also has a severe peanut allergy and is on the autism spectrum.
"She has like anywhere from 25 to 35 specialists in her life. Probably more than that," Melissa explained.
Rayleigh routinely sees different specialists in Bangor, each a more than four-hour round trip from this remote coastal community on the Canadian border.
Rayleigh wears an orthotic on her foot every night, which must be adjusted periodically by her orthopedic surgeon in Saco, more than four hours away.
"I need to be able to take her to appointments right when I need to take her," Melissa said.
After her car was totaled in a crash in December, Melissa, who is disabled with several medical issues, including muscle weakness, has to rely on Modivcare, a transportation service for MaineCare patients. The service also transports Rayleigh to a special needs preschool in Machias, about an hour each way. The service picks up other patients, so getting to visits and school takes twice as long.
"You can't get same-day transportation if she is urgently sick," Melissa said, shaking her head. "You can't get her to the doctor right away."
Melissa established a GoFundMe account to help raise money to get a vehicle. She said she won't stop fighting to ensure Rayleigh doesn't fall through the cracks when it comes to getting the medical treatment she needs to survive.
"She is the reason I smile every day," Melissa said, holding back tears.