Elliot's Army

As most of our friends and family know my sweet nephew Elliot was born with two very rare and very severe medical conditions; Mass Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). These disorders have made it impossible for Elliot to eat. Something we take for granted. To be overly simplistic, his little body literally rejects everything he eats, causing severe and sometimes life-threatening reactions. At nearly 17 months old, he is solely dependent on breastmilk and eats ice chips as a snack.  At this point, Elliots medical status has become severe and urgent. He currently has 2 different feeding tubes, which have not proven  successful.  He has stopped growing and our family is desperate to find him the help he needs.      

My family and I have been encouraging my sister Leah and brother-in-law Dan to start a Gofundme account for months now and after much hesitation and resistance they have finally agreed to allow my family, Elliot's godfather and myself to establish an account on their behalf. They have been very reluctant to accept any monetary donations as they know so many families are in need. But recent changes in Elliot's medical status prompted them to finally agree to our efforts. Funds raised will help to cover out of state medical treatments, medical expenses and every day expenses that a family of six incurs.

The lastest uplate as of Wednesday evening (11/23):  My sister was informed that  Elliot will be admitted to Cincinnati Children's Hospital on Monday to have a PICC line placement and begin TPN. The expected hospital stay is 7 to 10 days and they will be 5 hours from home. Since Elliot has no safe foods, had such a negative reaction to his feeding tube and is still only in the 2 percentile for his weight causing him to be classified "failure to thrive", the doctors, my sister and brother-in-law all agree that this is the best option for Elliot at this time.

The support that has been shown to my entire family has brought tears to my eyes countless times and has truly been nothing less than amazing. Thank you all for your continued support, thoughts, prayers, good vibes and well wishes for my nephew. We will be forever grateful.

If you have not done so already, I encourage you to share in Elliot's story. His journey was featured on Channel 4 news in Detroit. It helps to give a look into his daily life and the challenges he faces.  

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/extended-cut-boys-rare-condition-means-he-cant-eat

Click here to learn more about Elliot's journey