An Act Of Kindness For Sean Heft

This is my cousin Sean Heft. Sean was diagnosed with Dushenne's Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) when he was 5 years old. DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. Symptom onset is in early childhood, usually between ages 3 and 5. The disease primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it can affect girls. The symptoms of DMD are muscle weakness which can begin as early as age 3, first affecting the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders, and later the skeletal (voluntary) muscles in the arms, legs and trunk. The calves often are enlarged. By the early teens, the heart and respiratory muscles also are affected. Most children with DMD have an average life span of around 21-24. Sean has been in a wheelchair full time since the age of 9. Sean is now 13 years old. Sean started experiencing shoulder and chest pain along with severe nausea on Tuesday Dec 5th around 7 pm, my Aunt contacted the Sask health line and was told to call 911. Sean was seen by paramedics and had an ECG. They found an abnormality on his heart and rushed him to Regina General Hospital. The doctors determined that Sean has an infection in the pericardiam, sac that holds his heart. The symptoms that Sean was experiencing would suggest that he was having multiple heart attacks had he been an adult, however, the doctors said that there was no damage as of 9am Dec. 6, 2017 so it isn't heart attacks. After a consultation with Saskatoon and Edmonton doctors, Sean was air ambulanced to Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital (RUH) Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In the afternoon of the 6th Sean began to experience extremely high heart rates. Sean resting heart rate is reading on average is 130-150 bpm with spikes hitting 175 bpm. After this spike, doctors did another ultrasound on Sean's heart, Doctors are unsure if the infection in his pericardiam is causing the damage found on his heart or if the damage is being caused by the heart beat spikes. After the first heart beat spike of 175 bpm, doctors prepared Sean for emergency life support measures. The doctors in Saskatoon are doing their best to help Sean, but unfortunately, they have never seen anything like this and are waiting for his levels to lower before they look at moving him. At the moment Sean is staying in the PICU at RUH, with a possibility of beening transferred to Edmonton's specialist. Unfortunately, ambulance travel comes with a high cost. Starting Wednesday, Sean has had an ambulance ride from his home to RGH, from RGH to the airport, plane ambulance to Saskatoon, from there to RUH, an now a possibility to Edmonton. My Aunt, Betty, has been with him since the beginning. My Uncle, Ernie, is the only one working for an income, as my Aunt takes care of Sean's daily needs. My Uncle has gone up to Saskatoon to be with his son and wife, as they are unsure of how to help him or how to stop the damage been done to his heart. I'm asking for a small act of kindness from each and every person. Please help spread this post and if your able to make a small donation we would ever be grateful. Medical costs are hard on a family at any time of the year, but even harder at Christmas. I'm looking to help with Medical costs, possible Ambulance fees, loss of wages, so my Uncle can be with his family during this time. Thank you for your support and kindness to a family in need.