On Sunday, November 27th, 2022, my 6-year-old nephew, Ryan, was admitted to Brenner's Children's Hospital for an E. coli infection. Upon gathering further assessments, his care team confirmed a diagnosis of hemolytic uremia syndrome (HUS). HUS is a rare but serious disease that occurs as a complication of E.coli that can affect the kidneys and clotting functions of the infected person.

Since being admitted to the hospital, Ryan has undergone several tests, lab work, blood transfusions and has completed many rounds of dialysis. However, his kidneys still haven't been able to function at 100% capacity. With constant around-the-clock care from his team, doctors have established at least a 3-week timeline from admission to ensure a full recovery.

My sister, Marissa and her fiance, Austin, currently live in Wilmington, NC, but due to such extreme measures of care, Austin has taken a leave of absence from his full-time job to be at bedside with Ryan in Winston-Salem, NC. Marissa is still in Wilmington, NC, working full time and taking care of their other son, who is 16 months old. Going through this unexpected illness has placed them in hardship as a family. However, they plan to continue to do what is best for Ryan and their family during this time and have opted for Austin to stay in Winston- Salem, NC, until Ryan can be discharged home.

With the holidays approaching, there has been added financial stress due to Ryan's unexpected illness. I am creating this fundraiser to not only spread awareness of HUS but to ask for the community's support for their family during this time. Both my sister and her fiance are hard-working individuals who have devoted their lives entirely to their families. We ask that you please help support them in any way to alleviate any financial burdens so they can enjoy the holidays with their sons.

Finally, we ask that you please continue to pray for Ryan, his care team, and those impacted by this, and we thank everyone for their continued support.

Please message me privately if you would like to donate in any other capacity.