Miles To Go

My name is Kaliko Castille and I am launching this GoFundMe page on behalf of my youngest brother Miles to help defray the costs of an upcoming surgery that will be taking place on July 10th. 


Miles Aiden Nelson is the youngest of six children but has definitely had the toughest hand dealt to him. 

Miles was born on January 4th, 2008 with a condition known as “Short Gut Syndrome” stemming from intestinal atresia (which means his small intestines never fully formed). This is a rare condition that according to the National Institute of Health, only affects 3 out of every one million people. 


Due to this, Miles has been hooked up to a nutrient (TPN ) line every night since he was born in order for his body to get the necessary nutrients he requires. Although this TPN nutrient solution is quite literally Milesʻ lifeline, being on as concentrated a dose as he is has begun to do long-term damage to his liver. 

It is for this reason (among others) that Milesʻ doctors have suggested that he undergo a groundbreaking surgery with a team at Seattle Childrenʻs Hospital with the goal of increasing the functionality of his small intestine so that his body can begin to properly absorb vital nutrients and eventually decrease his intake of TPN. 

This unique procedure is known as a Serial Transverse Enteroplasty Procedure (STEP) and was pioneered by a team at Boston Childrenʻs Hospital in 2002. Essentially this procedure is a new surgical technique to help lengthen the bowel. 

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Here is a little more info about the STEP procedure from Boston Childrenʻs Hospital :

The STEP procedure is designed for patients with short bowel syndrome who are dependent on intravenous (IV) nutrition because they cannot tolerate full use of their gastrointestinal tract. The goal of the STEP procedure is to increase the length of the small intestine so that patients can better tolerate nutrition through the gastrointestinal tract and eventually wean from IV nutrition. 

The STEP procedure relies on the simple anatomic principle that the blood supply to the small bowel travels from the mesentery and traverses the bowel perpendicular to its long axis. In the STEP operation, special devices are used to simultaneously cut and staple the bowel in a direction parallel to this plane. Immediately after the STEP procedure, the small bowel has a "zigzag" appearance from these staples lines. 

You can view a video of the surgery being performed at Boston Childrenʻs Hospital here .

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After months consulting with Milesʻ team of doctors, our family has decided to move forward with the procedure with the hope that Miles can begin to have an improved quality of life and hopefully begin to be weaned off TPN. 

In addition to the added stress on his liver, there have been a lot of complications with Milesʻ TPN line over the years.

Just this January, on Milesʻ 10th birthday, he was admitted to the hospital for an infection in his nutrient line. Infections in the line are not uncommon, but this particular infection coupled with some complications at the hospital led to Miles going into a month-long coma and staying in the hospital for over 6 weeks!

This particular stay in the hospital cost over $900,000.00


Luckily, due to decent health insurance, our familyʻs out of pocket expenses was roughly around $20,000. An amount we are still working to pay down. 

This is why we need your help.

For this upcoming surgery in Seattle, we expect to see a bill similar in size. 

Given the complications from his condition, Miles has undergone countless surgeries and procedures in his short life but still manages to face adversity with a smile on his face.



As you can imagine, the costs associated with Milesʻ medical bills over the course of his life are astronomical but it goes without saying that his life is worth every penny. 

When Miles was first born, doctors didnʻt think Miles would make it to 5.

This past January, Miles turned 10. 

With your help, Miles will have a shot at living a full life.

Please consider donating to our campaign so that we can continue to make sure Miles gets the care he needs. Anything you can give will go a long way in helping our family bear the financial load that his medical conditions requires.

Mahalo in advance for your support!