A Christmas Miracle — And The Road We’re Still Walking Support Dominic and the Bell-Alvarez Family

On December 21, 2024, our son Dominic entered the world at just 1lb 9oz. What followed were 101 days across four hospitals, emergency interventions, a grade 3 & 4 brain bleed, urgent ROP surgery, feeding complications, and months of uncertainty. He fought. And on April 1st — he came home. But coming home was not the end of the journey. It was the beginning of a new one.

April to Now: The Middle of the Story Since discharge.  Dominic’s care has continued to evolve.

We’ve navigated:
• NG/G/J- tube placement and routine tube changes
• Adjustments in feeding plans and formulas • Transitioning medications between ports
• Managing chronic vomiting and secretion burden
• Ongoing suction needs
• Wheelchair fittings and adaptive equipment
• CP clinic evaluations and developmental monitoring

 Some days are steady. Some days are full of retching, suctioning, pump alarms, and outfit changes. Dominic now weighs 18 pounds — a milestone that once felt impossible. He smiles through therapy. He works hard in his wheelchair. He continues to grow in ways that leave us in awe. But growth has brought new realities. 

 Our Medical Team Dominic is followed closely by multiple specialties, including:
 
• Primary Care (Complex Pediatrician)
• Gastroenterology (GI)
• General Surgery
• Neurology • Neurosurgery (for IVH/brain bleed follow-up)
• Ophthalmology (post-ROP surgery monitoring)
• ENT
• CP Clinic
• Developmental Psychology
• Nutrition • Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech/Feeding Therapy

 Medical complexity isn’t one diagnosis. It’s coordination. Monitoring. Adjusting. Advocating. Re-evaluating. It’s layers.


 Our Most Urgent Need: Accessible Transportation
 Dominic is now in a wheelchair. That sentence holds both pride and weight. His chair provides support, positioning, and access to the world — but it has made transportation our greatest source of anxiety.
 
We urgently need a reliable, accessible van to:
 • Safely transport his wheelchair
• Secure his feeding pump and medical equipment
• Allow space for suction and emergency supplies
 • Get to appointments (often an hour away) without fear of breakdowns or unsafe transfers

 Right now, every trip requires strategic planning, rearranging, lifting, hoping, and praying nothing shifts. Medical complexity does not pause for car trouble.

Appointments do not wait. Emergencies do not reschedule. The van is not about convenience. It is about safety, stability, and certainty.

Additional Needs: 
 We are also working toward:
 • A portable suction machine for on-the-go care (our current unit requires a wall outlet) • A battery backup/power station to protect his feeding pump during storms and outages
• Wheelchair accessories (including IV pole attachment)
• Ongoing medical supplies not fully covered

Insurance and Medicaid help — and we are incredibly grateful — but many of the items that make daily life manageable fall into the gap between “covered” and “real-life ready.”

Dominic is 18 pounds of resilience. He has already overcome more than most do in a lifetime. We are simply trying to build a world around him that keeps up with how hard he fights.

 If you feel led to donate, share, or pray — we are deeply grateful. Your support helps us focus on Dominic’s care while building the stability he needs. With love and hope, Amy, John, Blake, Julian, and Dominic