Help William's Recovery

My sister (Kera Stebbins) and brother-in-law’s (Jeremy Stebbins) two year old boy, William, loves to swim, especially with his older brother, Dean. He has been enrolled in swimming lessons since his first summer and loves to play outside. William is mischievous, too clever for his own good, and loves attention. William’s favorite things are singing nursery rhymes, playing with puzzles, counting, and saying the ABC’s. His favorite song is, This Little Light of Mine. Advanced for his age, William can read 20 words! His infectious smile and playful antics make him the light of his house.

 

Sadly, on September 5th, William was involved in a catastrophic non-fatal drowning accident. CPR was immediately performed on him by his mom and first responders. After approximately 45 minutes of life saving efforts by an ER crew, William’s heart miraculously began to beat again! Doctors were not optimistic about the condition of his lungs and were concerned he would not make it through the night. Being the fighter that he is, William beat the odds and by the end of the night had 100% oxygen saturation being delivered to his other organs. Currently, he is regularly breathing over his ventilator with minimal pressure support. On the first night, William began seizing every 3-5 seconds and was put in a comatose state to make them stop. He has since been weaned off the sedative seizure medicine and is taking a milder medicine that he can be given at home. Last week, William underwent tracheostomy and G-tube surgery. Both were successful. He also overcame the need for a catheter and his bladder is functioning on its own. My sister and her husband are dedicated to give William every opportunity to continue the fight that he’s already demonstrated he is capable of.

 

If possible, we are asking for any help toward William’s medical bills, rehabilitation, and recovery. William has been in the PICU at Rady’s Children’s Hospital for three weeks and will rehabilitate there for five more. In rehabilitation, the doctors hope William will learn to breathe through his trachea without support of the ventilator. This will allow him to come home. His parents are consulting with world-renowned brain trauma specialist, Dr. Harch in New Orleans for treatment options. William’s home recovery will include occupational, speech, pulmonary, and physical therapy sessions as well as around-the-clock nursing. Unfortunately, these treatments are costly and time sensitive.

 

Thank you for your consideration of William’s future. If you are unable to contribute, we would ask simply for your prayers and, if possible, to share his story. His parents love and miss him more than they thought was ever possible and want nothing more than to see their own “Little Light” awake and smiling again.