By Sherrie Norrie
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Zionville will be hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, July 29, beginning at 12:30 p.m. for a local family in need of encouragement, prayers and financial assistance.
Proceeds from the event will go toward the expenses of the Haury family, whose 12-year-old daughter, Melia, is awaiting a heart transplant.
The benefit lunch will include barbecue pork, baked potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, bread and desserts. A kid’s menu will offer chicken nuggets, corn, macaroni and cheese.
Donations will be accepted and greatly appreciated.
A spokesperson for the church described Melia as “our local heart warrior” and invites the community to come out on Sunday for the lunch as a show of support for one of their own.
“We are hoping you will join us in prayer for Melia, as well as at the fundraiser, as she waits to receive her new heart. If you can’t attend, hopefully, you will send a donation for the family. We claim the scripture found in Genesis 18:14, and know that there is nothing too hard for the Lord.”
The Haurys, “a dear family,” have been a part of the church for several years and is well loved by the church and community, said the church representative.
According to Melia’s mother, Karen Haury, Melia was born with half a heart that is also inverted “or basically, backward.”
“Since undergoing three open-heart surgeries by the time she was 3 years of age, Melia, a homeschooled student, has enjoyed living a relatively healthy life,” her mother described. “She loves jumping on a trampoline and playing with her friends. Melia likes to do any type of arts and crafts. An avid reader, she flies through books on her Kindle.”
As she has grown older, her heart has begun to malfunction, Karen said. “Her doctors believe that it is time to pursue a heart transplant.”
Melia and her parents will be meeting with the transplant team next week to discuss the next steps.
“It is likely that Melia will be admitted to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte near the end of August. She will be on an IV medication until she receives a new heart.”
This first step, alone, will take a toll on the Haury family, Karen admitted, as she will stay in the hospital with her daughter the entire time, while father, Myk, and two teenage sons, Cameron, 18, and Jake, 15, remain at home.
“We are a close-knit family and enjoy our time together,” Karen said. “Melia will miss her dad and brothers terribly, but they will come to visit as often as they can.”
In the meantime, Melia is handling everything very well, her mother shared. “She knows that her strength comes from the Lord. She even said, ‘I know that this transplant is a big deal, but I’m not worried about it.’”
At the same time, Karen said, “Our family has begun praying for the other family in this story — the family who, in their mourning, will provide Melia with a second chance. We are trusting God through this journey and will give him honor and praise every step of the
way.”
Please plan to show your support for this family during Sunday’s fundraising event. If you are unable to attend, but wish to send a donation to help them with expenses, send checks payable to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 1564 Silverstone Rd. Zionville, NC. 28698, marking in memo line for the Haury Family.
You may follow Melia’s journey through her caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/meliahaury.
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