Seven-year-old Kinsley Waddell of Union suffers from epilepsy and sleep apnea. One of her family members, James Clark, has organized a bass fishing tournament set for this weekend to help the Waddell family with medical bills.
Three years ago, Kinsley Waddell started suffering from serious migraine headaches. Brandy and Jason Waddell stated it was very difficult to watch their daughter in pain.
“She would just sit there and hold her head and cry,” Brandy said.
During one of many trips to the Children’s Hospital of Greenville, the couple found out some of Kinsley’s migraines had actually been epileptic seizures. She eventually started having multiple seizures a week.
Kinsley also suffers from sleep apnea.
“Sometimes she could be up for days and sometimes she might sleep for days,” Brandy said. “When she’s up, I’m up.”
“Sometimes she would just be getting to sleep at 5-6 a.m. when other kids were waking up,” Jason said.
In addition to those conditions, Kinsley also has practically no sight in one eye.
“I have a right eye that can’t see,” Kinsley said.
She takes seven different types of medicine on a daily basis and she and her family make weekly trips to the Children’s Hospital of Greenville. Lately, Kinsley’s diet has consisted mostly of Boost and Ensure nutritional drinks which Medicaid does not pay for since she does not need a feeding tube to drink them.
All of this has been a struggle for Kinsley, her parents and her 4-year-old sister — Catlyn. For the past three Christmases, when asked what she wanted Kinsley heartbreakingly replied, “I just want a new life.”
This motivated James Clark — a member of the family — to organize a bass fishing tournament to help pay for the child’s medical expenses. Clark told the family, “I’m doing it whether you want me to or not.”
The tournament will be held this Saturday, June 26, at Lake Monticello. Tournament sign up is 5 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. at the 99 Landing upper ramp. Fishing will begin at 6 a.m. and last until 1 p.m. and hotdog and hamburger plates will be sold from 1-3 p.m.
The tournament entry fee is $55 with $25 going to the Waddell family and $30 going toward the tournament prize payout. All South Carolina Department of Natural Resources rules apply.
The help will come just in time for Kinsley’s eighth birthday which is Monday. The Waddells stated they are thankful for Clark and his efforts to help them. They also stated The Café in Jonesville donated all food for the event.
Contact Clark at (864) 426-4853 for more information about the tournament.
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