"I stand by Dakota Nash"
Donation protected
Mother murdered at 11, Brain injury at 15, Leukemia at 17, Skin attacked for 4 years..now this!
Hello, I'm Daniel Nash and I am asking for help on behalf of my son Dakota and my family.
Dakota was nearly killed (photos) by a fast moving SUV on March 2nd while crossing a 6 lane road. His injuries were severe and he spent 9 days in the intensive care unit and had 4 surgeries including 3 skin grafts (graphic photos), a hip repair, double compound leg fracture, broken and loose teeth, and a several deep lacerations and road rash to his arms, hips and legs. I know that people are injured or die every day from these types of accidents but this is not Dakotas first flirt with death. In fact he has been fighting for his life AND WINNING for many years....the kid needs a break!
PLEASE read on and support Dakota and our family with prayer and by sharing this amayzing story as far and wide as you can.
Donations are a blessing for Dakota and will help support his care that is not covered by insurance.
Dakota began life premature with his umbilical cord around his neck, but that didn't slow him down. He lived a normal happy life (photos) and was always respectful and caring toward others. At age 11, Dakota and his brother Ryan witnessed the brutal slaying of their mother (link) yet he charged ahead. Dakota was well liked by his peers and excelled at basket ball and football winning many awards. At 15, while on spring break, tragedy literally hit him in the form of a Toyota SUV as he was peddling his bicycle. He sustained a traumatic brain injury (photos) which put him into a coma for 10 days. Intensive care would last for 30 days followed by an additional 30 days in Barrows Neurological Institutes intensive rehabilitation program where he started from the beginning learning to walk, talk and feed himself.
The institute incorporated Dakota's very own Chocolate Labrador (a gift from his late mother) into his therapy. Dakota was an inspiration to all around him and used his dog to assist others at Barrows while still in therapy himself.
Life struggled on for Dakota with special education needs, physical and mental challenges, and long term therapy for about a year and a half. Just when things were beginning to look up for Dakota, AML (acute myeloid leukemia) (photos) a form of blood cancer, stopped him in his tracts. That was October 8th, 2011 just two weeks before his 17th birthday.
Dakota was hospitalized and began chemotherapy the very next day. During the first few days of treatment, his brain began hemorrhaging and paralysis set in on his left side. Eventually the bleeding was controlled and his treatment continued. Months of chemo failed to push the cancer into remission and on April 11 2012, he received a bone marrow transplant at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The transplant was successful and Dakota was deemed in remission yet his battle was not over. The next year would prove to be the most challenging to date as a condition known as Graft Verses Host Disease, (photos) or GvHD slowly destroyed his skin causing scaring and infections.
This condition is caused by his new immune system (graft) attacking his skin (host). In addition, the central line catheter which is needed for chemotherapy and the many blood transfusions following the transplant, repeatedly grew infections resulting in the need for powerful antibiotics that eventually damaged his kidneys. There is no cure for GvHD and management is a slow process that may continue for years or in some cases for life. Through all of this, Dakota was never bitter and planned ways to help others through his misfortune highlighted in this news clip from 2012 (Teen faces tragedies head on)
Dakota was eventually transferred to a medical specialized group home in close proximity to the children's hospital where he would live for the next year while receiving specialized GvHD blood treatments called Photo Apherisis from the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale AZ. He was then transferred to yet another group home where another two years would pass.
To date Dakota has remained displaced from his Cottonwood home 100 miles away for over 5 years with only occasional visits home. His daily life consists of playing video games, walking to a near by shopping center, and doctor appointments.
Dakota is physically disabled and receives state and federally funded medical insurance that will cover his trauma expenses but it will fall far short of restoring his life back to normal. Dental work needed will quickly exhaust the insurance and physical therapy could continue for years. Furthermore the orthopedic surgeon stated that one or more hip replacements are in Dakota's future.
We have and will continue to STAND BY DAKOTA. Through his brain trauma, cancer, GvHD, and now the car accident, a family member or myself have always been at his side advocating for the best possible care. The financial and personal sacrafices have been un measurable and over the years we have struggled both individually and as a family due to financial stress, jobs, separation from family and home, time sacrificed from other family members , missed life events and cherished moments..the list goes on.
Dakota has suffered most of all spending the majority of his teen years in a hospital bed. From that bed he watched his birthdays come and go. Watched his peers graduate high school, go off to college, get married and even start families. He missed family Christmas' at grandma's, senor prom, dating, learning to drive and so much more. Now he sleeps in the hospital bed beside me missing yet another beautiful spring day.
We humbly ask and pray for help. Help needed to afford Dakota a family member at his side as he faces yet another painful chapter of his broken life. Help providing the physical therapy and dental work just ahead of him. Most of all, help with Dakota's future needs with therapy both physical and occupational.
Help make Dakota's life whole once more.
We sincerely thank you,
The Nash Family
Dakota's leukemia story from day one is here in my daily journal
; http://www.carepages.com/carepages/dakotagoat
Hello, I'm Daniel Nash and I am asking for help on behalf of my son Dakota and my family.
Dakota was nearly killed (photos) by a fast moving SUV on March 2nd while crossing a 6 lane road. His injuries were severe and he spent 9 days in the intensive care unit and had 4 surgeries including 3 skin grafts (graphic photos), a hip repair, double compound leg fracture, broken and loose teeth, and a several deep lacerations and road rash to his arms, hips and legs. I know that people are injured or die every day from these types of accidents but this is not Dakotas first flirt with death. In fact he has been fighting for his life AND WINNING for many years....the kid needs a break!
PLEASE read on and support Dakota and our family with prayer and by sharing this amayzing story as far and wide as you can.
Donations are a blessing for Dakota and will help support his care that is not covered by insurance.
Dakota began life premature with his umbilical cord around his neck, but that didn't slow him down. He lived a normal happy life (photos) and was always respectful and caring toward others. At age 11, Dakota and his brother Ryan witnessed the brutal slaying of their mother (link) yet he charged ahead. Dakota was well liked by his peers and excelled at basket ball and football winning many awards. At 15, while on spring break, tragedy literally hit him in the form of a Toyota SUV as he was peddling his bicycle. He sustained a traumatic brain injury (photos) which put him into a coma for 10 days. Intensive care would last for 30 days followed by an additional 30 days in Barrows Neurological Institutes intensive rehabilitation program where he started from the beginning learning to walk, talk and feed himself.
The institute incorporated Dakota's very own Chocolate Labrador (a gift from his late mother) into his therapy. Dakota was an inspiration to all around him and used his dog to assist others at Barrows while still in therapy himself.
Life struggled on for Dakota with special education needs, physical and mental challenges, and long term therapy for about a year and a half. Just when things were beginning to look up for Dakota, AML (acute myeloid leukemia) (photos) a form of blood cancer, stopped him in his tracts. That was October 8th, 2011 just two weeks before his 17th birthday.
Dakota was hospitalized and began chemotherapy the very next day. During the first few days of treatment, his brain began hemorrhaging and paralysis set in on his left side. Eventually the bleeding was controlled and his treatment continued. Months of chemo failed to push the cancer into remission and on April 11 2012, he received a bone marrow transplant at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The transplant was successful and Dakota was deemed in remission yet his battle was not over. The next year would prove to be the most challenging to date as a condition known as Graft Verses Host Disease, (photos) or GvHD slowly destroyed his skin causing scaring and infections.
This condition is caused by his new immune system (graft) attacking his skin (host). In addition, the central line catheter which is needed for chemotherapy and the many blood transfusions following the transplant, repeatedly grew infections resulting in the need for powerful antibiotics that eventually damaged his kidneys. There is no cure for GvHD and management is a slow process that may continue for years or in some cases for life. Through all of this, Dakota was never bitter and planned ways to help others through his misfortune highlighted in this news clip from 2012 (Teen faces tragedies head on)
Dakota was eventually transferred to a medical specialized group home in close proximity to the children's hospital where he would live for the next year while receiving specialized GvHD blood treatments called Photo Apherisis from the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale AZ. He was then transferred to yet another group home where another two years would pass.
To date Dakota has remained displaced from his Cottonwood home 100 miles away for over 5 years with only occasional visits home. His daily life consists of playing video games, walking to a near by shopping center, and doctor appointments.
Dakota is physically disabled and receives state and federally funded medical insurance that will cover his trauma expenses but it will fall far short of restoring his life back to normal. Dental work needed will quickly exhaust the insurance and physical therapy could continue for years. Furthermore the orthopedic surgeon stated that one or more hip replacements are in Dakota's future.
We have and will continue to STAND BY DAKOTA. Through his brain trauma, cancer, GvHD, and now the car accident, a family member or myself have always been at his side advocating for the best possible care. The financial and personal sacrafices have been un measurable and over the years we have struggled both individually and as a family due to financial stress, jobs, separation from family and home, time sacrificed from other family members , missed life events and cherished moments..the list goes on.
Dakota has suffered most of all spending the majority of his teen years in a hospital bed. From that bed he watched his birthdays come and go. Watched his peers graduate high school, go off to college, get married and even start families. He missed family Christmas' at grandma's, senor prom, dating, learning to drive and so much more. Now he sleeps in the hospital bed beside me missing yet another beautiful spring day.
We humbly ask and pray for help. Help needed to afford Dakota a family member at his side as he faces yet another painful chapter of his broken life. Help providing the physical therapy and dental work just ahead of him. Most of all, help with Dakota's future needs with therapy both physical and occupational.
Help make Dakota's life whole once more.
We sincerely thank you,
The Nash Family
Dakota's leukemia story from day one is here in my daily journal
; http://www.carepages.com/carepages/dakotagoat
Organizer
Daniel Nash
Organizer
Cottonwood, AZ
