<div>Kai is 4 years old. In May, he's going to be going into aggressive double hip surgery and recovery for Kai isn't like the rest of us... it's a lot of regression and a massive mountain to climb after just to get back to where he is now.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We need help making sure that he Thrives moving forward and not backward.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Kai was born at 25 weeks and 6 days, weighing 2 pounds 2 ounces.
</div>
<div>He survived three brain bleeds, A collapsed lung, Medical NEC, Weeks on a ventilator, Months in the NICU, and Multiple surgeries before he ever came home.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>He was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy , which means it affects his entire body.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But if you met Kai, that's not the first thing you'd notice.
</div>
<div>You'd notice his ear to ear smile and the way he lights up a room with it! The way he tries every single day to do things that most kids never have to think about.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Sitting up, Crawling, Taking steps in his walker. Every bit of it was earned through countless hours of therapy.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Here's what we're facing.</strong>
</div>
<div>In May, Kai will have double hip surgery on Both sides. It's aggressive, but it's necessary to give him the best chance at walking and avoiding worse surgeries down the road.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>After surgery, he'll be placed in a full body cast for over 8 weeks.
</div>
<div>He won't be able to move from the chest down. He won't be able to practice anything he's learned leaving muscles to tighten and his strength to fade.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We're expecting regression,and that's the part that keeps us up at night.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Everything Kai has… he fought for. And the idea of watching him lose it, knowing there are things that could help, is something no parent should have to sit with.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Kai is still in a critical window of neuroplasticity, meaning his brain is still capable of forming new connections and adapting in ways that become much harder as he gets older.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If we move quickly before and especially after this surgery, we can stack the right therapies to help him recover what's lost, rebuild faster, and push further than he's ever been.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But these therapies aren't covered by insurance, not a single one.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>A month-long neurological treatment in Mexico that aims to regenerate neural progenitor cells, improve brain connectivity, and clean out damaged brain tissue which has seen huge success and activating dead neuralpathways in CP kids.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>An intensive therapy program in Texas focused on rebuilding motor control and movement. A stem cell treatment which is one of the most promising options available for kids like Kai. A three week Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) intensive that we're working to pair with a Duke University Clinical study. A vibration therapy unit for daily at-home treatment during recovery, and an important safe bed system because Kai is outgrowing his crib, and with a full body cast, getting him in and out of a regular bed safely is not possible without the right setup. (Kai can't have a normal bed for a kid his age sadly, he must have a specialty bed).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Altogether, the estimated cost is around $117,000.
</div>
<div>We've set our goal at $100,000 and have hopes to personally cover everything beyond that.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>(Update) We've begun looking into an adaptable Van as Kai is getting heavier and more capable of using his manual HEAVY wheelchair... 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This was an eye opener... after looking into it a safe option for him and the family will run $70,000-$95,000 just by itself.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our top priority is still therapies above all else not that Kai's Hip surgery is complete and we can travel again for them ove rthe next few months... but any and all support in this journeyfor Kai is welcome and appreciated beyond belief. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This isn't about extras, this is about protecting what he's already earned.
</div>
<div>This next year is the window, his brain is ready, his body needs the support, and the surgery is coming whether we're ready or not.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are doing everything we can as his parents, we have fought for this kid every single day since he was born and will continue every single day of his life. We just can't do this part alone...
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you can donate, even a little, it matters more than you know.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you can share this page, that might matter even more. The right person seeing this at the right time can change everything.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>And if all you can do is pray for our boy, we'll take every single one.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for reading this. Thank you for caring about our son.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>With love,
</div>
<div>Dustin, Tawny, Kai &amp; Kaysha
</div>

Marcia Dale

Anonymous

Betty Foote

Brenna Erickson

Help Kai Thrive Through Major Surgery

Still $48,105 to go. Help us build momentum.