Grayson County mother fights for legalized medical marijuana for her daughter – 14 News WFIE Evansville

LEITCHFIELD, KY (WAVE) – Will medical marijuana become legal in Kentucky?

Supporters have been hopeful two bills on the table right now in Frankfort would pass, but there’s some doubt.

Critics of the house bill say there needs to be more research first, passing a resolution for a task force to further study the drug.

Supporters like Alexandra Fulkerson and her family say that’s only meant to stall the bill’s progress, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop trying.

Fulkerson says Frankfort’s decision could change their lives. That’s why she and her mother have been sharing Kolbie’s story all over the state capitol.

“I don’t know for sure if it’s going to work for her, but I want to try,” said Fulkerson. “I need that hope. I have that hope.”

Fulkerson’s 15-month-old daughter, Kolbie, was born with a form of Polymicrogyria, a rare neurological disorder that also causes seizures. Those seizures sometimes last an hour and they affect her breathing, so she needs a trach as well as a feeding tube.

“We tried medicine that causes blindness, we tried this and that, and nothing works,” said Fulkerson.

Taking eight different medications every two to four hours.

“She’s either asleep or seizing and it’s really, really hard because you want to see her look at you and smile and she doesn’t smile,” said Fulkerson.

The medications sedate her so much, Kolbie’s brain development is of a one month old. They also all have harmful side effects and a huge risk of overdosing.

A round the clock job for the whole family. Kolbie’s six-year-old brother, Hurley, even pitches in and tries to calm the baby when she is seizing.

Doctors recommended CBD oil, which worked in some ways, but was not enough.

“She just needs a little oomph, just a little bit of the THC that enhances it,” said Fulkerson.

If marijuana worked for Kolbie, Fulkerson says she could stop the medications and the trach could come out.

”It would be the best thing that could ever happen to this family,” said Fulkerson. “I’m so ready for this to end.”

Uprooting her entire family and moving is not really an option for Fulkerson, but she says if the bill doesn’t pass, she may have to consider it.

“We want to see our daughter live, not just lay there, but live,” said Fulkerson.

Fulkerson and her family says they will make the trip to Frankfort again, when the bill comes up for discussion.