Raz vs The World - Medical Fund

Story

This fund is for Raz Daniel Wiggins. He is my two year old nephew and my sister’s third child. They call him their “Rainbow baby”. Although this sounds adorable, the reason may be hard to hear.A few years ago, my nephew, Damon Ray Wiggins (sister’s second child and Raz’s older brother that he never got to meet) died due to complications with his immune system and contraction of meningitis. My sister deals with severe PTSD, grief, sadness, guilt, pain, you-name-it. She often struggles with guilt due to a belief that in her inability to produce enough milk to breast feed, Damon was not able to develop a strong enough immune system to fight off his illness. You can argue the science all you want (and she has a Master’s degree in biology, so good luck) but she will never be the same person again. They found out they were pregnant with Raz some time later, and although they weren’t sure they could handle bringing another child into the world, they decided he was their “Rainbow baby” and they have done an extraordinarily fantastic job handling the pain of loss while raising two young boys.Recently, she and her husband found out that Raz has Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) and Hypogammaglobunemia (feel free to look those up because I had to). It basically means he has low antibody levels/his immune system is deficient and, in order for his body to protect itself from the bacteria/viruses of the world that you and I don’t consciously have to fight, he needs constant administrations of intravenous immunoglobulins. The flood of new fears and pain in my sister’s life is palpable. As of now, these administrations must be done as an outpatient procedure until further notice when, hopefully, the doctors can train my sister and her husband to perform the infusions and, ultimately, train Raz to do it himself. He will likely need these infusions for the rest of his life as the doctors predict that there is a likelihood that his deficiency will never correct itself.I will do whatever I can, monetarily, to help my sister and nephew, but I am no Warren Buffet. My wife and I live comfortably, but from everything my sister has told me thus far, this treatment is going to be extraordinarily costly. Feel free to look it up. When I did the first article that I saw said the average cost was over $2000 per infusion...ten years ago. Raz will need monthly infusions. We need all the help we can get. To make matters worse (if that’s is even possible at this point), she recently learned that her health insurance is claiming they will not pay for the treatment. I could go on and on about my disdain for insurance companies, but I will spare you the rant. So, on top of the wave of dread that comes with learning your second child is in mortal danger in a similar fashion to that of your previous child that died a toddler, your insurance company is unable to assist with the cost of the very necessary treatment that will help keep your youngest child alive.Some time after Damon died, my sister and her husband started a non-profit they call Damon’s Dance. My sister makes items like furniture and artwork, accepts charitable donations of gently used items, and sells them at auctions. They use every cent of the raised funds to help defray the steep costs of adoption for families who want to adopt but are unable to cover all of the costs. I think it is time for charity to do something huge for my sister and her family. Every penny that I am able to raise (that doesn't go to fees for this site) is going to go straight to my sister and their fight to get Raz the protection he needs. Thanks in advance and tell your philanthropic friends!If you’re also interested in Damon’s Dance, you can find more info at http://www.damonsdance.com/-Conrad and Michelle Lovejoy