- M
- P
The boy who made me a brother for the first time. He has always been special. He came into the world fighting and hasn't stopped. No matter what he goes through, he still fights, with a smile!! After a 8 year battle with seizures, we are reeling in on what could be the last surgery.
Nicholas was born in distress with the cord wrapped around his neck. At age 3, Nicholas stopped communicating and was diagnosed with Autism. When he was 8, he started having seizures and we found he had a stroke at birth. Right after his 9th birthday, he had focal seizure removal and a craniotomy that involved brain surface mapping. Because of this surgery, his right side was severely compromised and he had to go through a lot of therapy to regain his gross motor. This would result in Nicholas losing 15% of his brain mass. Nicholas still has very limited use of his right hand and has become a left handed writer. At age 11, Nicholas started having seizures again and his neurologist moved to another state. The new doctor recommended IVIG therapy after getting a very painful spinal tap for auto-immune. He continued to have seizures through this treatment. After another year and a half, it was time to seek another opinion. After many tests, so many tests, his neurologist decided to conduct a seven hour surgery where they would insert probes into his brain which would keep track of the activity in his brain. This test was very eye-opening for my family and as a result, we found out that Nicholas was having seizures every three minutes that would last a minute long. This meant that Nicholas's brain would have to re-learn several things at the start of each day. Now after this second of four surgeries, we await his, what we hope to be, last.
While we continue to support Nicholas, he was officially granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation. Nicholas decided to choose the Disney Cruise Line after looking over several options and, bragging in his own way about how special he was for getting a wish.
There's one big catch, I am 19, and too old for Make-A-Wish to pay for my portion of the trip. Nicholas, Johnathan, and myself are very closely knit together, like the true brotherly love. Nicholas would be devastated if I couldn't go along with him. With Nicholas's medical bills and college expenses, we wouldn't be able to pay for this out of pocket. This would mean so much to my brothers, my parents, and myself if we could go, have the time of our lives together, as a celebration of Nicholas's strength, determination and perseverance. To grant him with memories that not even the seizures can take away from him.
In order for my parents to book the trip, flight and hotel, for a January, February or March trip, we would need some of the funds by late October.
Please, any amount of help would be appreciated. I really want this for my brother. He deserves it, because if you knew him you would smile or if you heard of his story, you would smile.
Thank you in advance for all the prayers and support for my family throughout this whole ordeal. We, I, appreciate all of it!!
Joe, big brother to two awesome little brothers!!
Nicholas was born in distress with the cord wrapped around his neck. At age 3, Nicholas stopped communicating and was diagnosed with Autism. When he was 8, he started having seizures and we found he had a stroke at birth. Right after his 9th birthday, he had focal seizure removal and a craniotomy that involved brain surface mapping. Because of this surgery, his right side was severely compromised and he had to go through a lot of therapy to regain his gross motor. This would result in Nicholas losing 15% of his brain mass. Nicholas still has very limited use of his right hand and has become a left handed writer. At age 11, Nicholas started having seizures again and his neurologist moved to another state. The new doctor recommended IVIG therapy after getting a very painful spinal tap for auto-immune. He continued to have seizures through this treatment. After another year and a half, it was time to seek another opinion. After many tests, so many tests, his neurologist decided to conduct a seven hour surgery where they would insert probes into his brain which would keep track of the activity in his brain. This test was very eye-opening for my family and as a result, we found out that Nicholas was having seizures every three minutes that would last a minute long. This meant that Nicholas's brain would have to re-learn several things at the start of each day. Now after this second of four surgeries, we await his, what we hope to be, last.
While we continue to support Nicholas, he was officially granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation. Nicholas decided to choose the Disney Cruise Line after looking over several options and, bragging in his own way about how special he was for getting a wish.
There's one big catch, I am 19, and too old for Make-A-Wish to pay for my portion of the trip. Nicholas, Johnathan, and myself are very closely knit together, like the true brotherly love. Nicholas would be devastated if I couldn't go along with him. With Nicholas's medical bills and college expenses, we wouldn't be able to pay for this out of pocket. This would mean so much to my brothers, my parents, and myself if we could go, have the time of our lives together, as a celebration of Nicholas's strength, determination and perseverance. To grant him with memories that not even the seizures can take away from him.
In order for my parents to book the trip, flight and hotel, for a January, February or March trip, we would need some of the funds by late October.
Please, any amount of help would be appreciated. I really want this for my brother. He deserves it, because if you knew him you would smile or if you heard of his story, you would smile.
Thank you in advance for all the prayers and support for my family throughout this whole ordeal. We, I, appreciate all of it!!
Joe, big brother to two awesome little brothers!!