Caring For Carly Candee Fundraiser Event Sept. 29

Join us at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Sidney Elks Lodge for a free will offering brisket and chicken dinner to raise money to help with medical costs for Carly Candee. There will also be a silent and live auction with a featured auction item of "African Safari Hunt for $!" valued at $18,000. This hunt will include, professional hunter; skinner/tracker; hunting vehicle; all meals (in camp) and accommodation during hunting Safari; water and soda and laundry service. For more information contact Duane Lundemo, 406-480-2290.

Carly Candee is an 18-year-old identical twin and Sidney and Fairview native. Carly is and always has been a cowgirl who has participated at 4-H, High School Rodeo and FFA. She developed a love of barrel racing at the age of 13. Carly became severely ill at 13 years of age and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), which is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation of the large intestine, rectum and colon with the development of ulcers on the intestine's surface.

Consequently, Carly's active life abruptly changed and resulted in multiple trips to Billings for doctors' appointments to consult with specialists in this field. Many of these visits led to lengthy hospital stays. For the last couple of years Carly's treatments have consisted of medications and exploratory surgeries with minimal to short lived treatment successes. On May 12, 2018 Carly became severely ill, air lifted to Billings and was spent the next 19 days in the hospital suffering through the ups and downs resulting in all medication treatments failing. Consequently, Carly was faced with a very difficult adult decision at her early age, and the decision to have a Proctocolectomy was made. This entails the removal of the rectum and the entire colon. This procedure has made Carly disease free with no need for further medications, however the ending result is the need for a temporary ileostomy or exterior drainage bag. Carly will be recovering from the procedure for the next six months.

Carly's eventual goal is to have the reversal procedures done involving two additional reconstructive surgeries that will allow the eventual elimination of the drainage bag. Specialists in Billings recommended these procedures take place in a specialized hospital located in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Mayo Clinic. Doctors have counseled Carly and her family to prepare for the extensive traveling for the next 1 ½ years. The cost has been, and will be immense, however the outcome of this lengthy and pain filled process will allow Carly to live the healthy life that she deserves.

We want to thank the community, friends and family of Sidney and Fairview for all the kindness and support expressed to Carly and our family during this entire process, it has meant absolutely everything to us all.