As you are aware, this fundraiser is aimed at raising enough funds for a stem-cell therapy for Hezekiah. You may be asking yourself why he needs this or why I want this procedure for him. 
 
Hezekiah has Autism, on the severe end of the spectrum. This means that even though physically he is 6 years old, developmentally he is around the age of 2. He is still in diapers, is nonverbal meaning he doesn’t speak, and most detrimental perhaps is his lack of fear and self-awareness-he cannot be left unattended for a single moment because he becomes a danger to himself. 
 
While Hezekiah is a happy child, there are many difficult moments in his life and mine. As his mother, my ultimate desire is for him to live a happy, functional, fulfilling life. I worry about who will take care of him after I die? We have been on a path to help Hezekiah live a fulfilling life, including ABA therapy and sending him full-time to an Autism center. After the staff at the Autism center repeatedly called me to pick him up because they-the people professionally trained to work with children with autism-couldn’t handle him I realized it was time to stop researching for solutions and start taking action. 
 
I have studied stem-cell therapies for several years and based on the testimonials I have read, I strongly believe this is the best chance Hezekiah has to develop into his age group and be able to be independent when he grows older. All I want is for my son to be able to be a healthy, independent person that can take care of himself after I am gone. 
 
With Autism comes other issues as well, like ADHD, GI issues, and Pica. Pica is the craving to eat non-food items like fabric, paper, or other hard materials. So not only does my son desire to put toxic items in his body, but because of his GI and sensory issues that are part of Autism, he doesn’t eat ANY food. It’s a daily struggle to make sure he gets the nutrients he needs to survive. This is the main reason why my family wants this procedure for Hezekiah. 
 
This procedure would be mostly beneficial for Hezekiah, but would be for me as well. Since Hezekiah was born, I have been on a mission to get the best care for my son. I am his sole caregiver, which means there is no such thing as ‘me’ time. Very few people are equipped to care for my son, even professionals. Because of his hyper activity and over-stimulated brain, Hezekiah does not have a normal sleep schedule which of course means I do not have a normal sleep schedule. I am lucky if I can get 4 hours of sleep in a 24-hour cycle. I can’t work, pursue higher education, or even spend time with friends or family because my days are consumed with autism. As my son gets older, he gets stronger and more curious and has been hurting himself a lot more. My family helps as much as they can, but it is still hard on all of us. I have hope with this procedure we will get to see Hezekiah flourish in school and socially, as well as improved digestive system-food is the key to the heart after all.

#AutismAwareness Hola, estoy recaudando dinero para mi hijo que tiene un trastorno del espectro autista grave. Hezekiah fue diagnosticado a los 2 años y ha estado recibiendo muchas terapias de Intervención Temprana desde que tenía 18 meses. Está a punto de cumplir 6 años el 26 de enero y todavía está recibiendo terapias ABA (Análisis de Conducta Aplicado) junto con Habla y OT (Terapias Ocupacionales). También asistió al preescolar Shining Stars de 3 a 5 y ahora asiste a la primaria. Ezequías ha vivido una vida rodeado y consumido por terapeutas, médicos, especialistas, psicólogos y psiquiatras y, aunque su vida está ocupada desde la mañana hasta la noche, sigue siendo un niño muy feliz. Hezekiah es un niño muy alegre y adorable que es amado por todos los que lo conocen. Su risa es tan contagiosa y su personalidad y sonrisa simplemente te atrae. Para mí, como su madre, él es “perfecto”. Él es lo más asombroso que me ha pasado en la vida y cada segundo con él me recuerda lo importante que es ser una "Madre". Por otro lado, como su madre y su voz, quiero darle la mejor oportunidad de vivir una vida independiente con algo de "normalidad" y, en este momento, la terapia con células madre ha estado funcionando para muchos niños en el espectro y solo quiero poder hacer esto por mi hijo. En este momento, Hezekiah está completamente por detrás de sus compañeros de la misma edad, no verbal y evolutivamente, y no se espera que se gradúe de la escuela secundaria ni viva una vida independiente. Esas son las cosas que me preocupan todos los días y lloro hasta quedarme dormido por la noche. Como madre mayor, solo quiero asegurarme de que cuiden a mi hijo cuando yo ya no esté aquí para cuidarlo. He estado investigando mucho durante muchos años sobre la terapia con células madre y he investigado lo suficiente como para finalmente llevar a cabo el procedimiento. Me he unido a muchos grupos relacionados con este tema; contacté a muchos médicos que realizan esta terapia y hablé con muchos padres que se la han hecho y los beneficios son asombrosos y no quiero perder esta oportunidad para mi Hezekiah . Si pudiera darle a su hijo la mejor oportunidad en su vida para ver el progreso, ¿no lo harían ustedes ? Así que le pido a toda mi familia, amigos, amigos de amigos, madres, padres y cualquier persona que pueda ayudarnos a hacer posible lo imposible para mi hijo que por favor nos ayude a alcanzar nuestra meta. Gracias por leer nuestra historia y gracias de antemano por su ayuda y por favor comparta nuestra historia y viaje en cualquier lugar que esté permitido. Gracias #Consciencia sobre el autismo