James was born on August 9 2014 and a true joy to my life. He was a healthy, bouncing baby boy 11 months ago. When he was 7 1/2 months old, I noticed he wasn't holding his head up like he should. After many tests and trips, we got the devastating news that he has SMA [spinal muscular atrophy]. SMA is like Lou Gehrig's disease only in infants. Because he is a baby, he isn't able to reach his milestones like sitting, walking, reaching or crawling. His muscle tone is very low. He can't pick up or move his own legs, roll over, or move his arms except from the elbow down. He is considered a "weak Type 2" because his muscle tone is so low that he can't make his own coughs to bring up any fluid that is in his lungs. We do that for him with special equipment. He can't eat anything by mouth and is fed from a tube. Anything that he would try to swallow would go right into his lungs.

We want to continue learning how to help James live a better quality of life because this is a progressive and terminal disease. We want to help him live as long as he can. We were told children with SMA do not make it to there first birthday, but with the education we have received from the Massachusetts General hospital, he is already surpassing his life expectancy.

James loves to play, laugh, and explore. Despite his condition, James is full of spirit and love, and is very intelligent. He always has a smile on his face that lights up the whole room. He is adored by many friends and family all around him.
I would do anything for this little boy. Im trying my hardest to meet all the needs for James but I still struggle financially. Given this new diagnosis, we now has new medical bills, day to day care, and long travel distance between hospitals and will be looking for a new place to live that’s handicap accessible. By donating today, you will greatly impact the lives of James and his dedicated parents and sisters..

James and my family have been through so much already and have a tough road ahead. As you can imagine, this has taken not only the expected emotional, spiritual, and physical toll on the family, but also a huge financial toll. Though we have medical insurance, there are many unexpected expenses and I have been unable to work regularly in weeks. Many of you have asked us what you can do to help. We appreciate prayers more than anything in the world. We have faith in God and it has gotten us through this very tough time. The most important reason for starting this GoFundMe is to bring awareness to this horrible disease, SMA. And if you are able to help my family with a donation, we greatly appreciate it. If you would like to help in other ways or have other fundraiser ideas, please get in touch with one of us! Thanks so much for helping my precious family. We will keep you updated on james's progress!