At 3 months old, Cade was diagnosed with epilepsy and polymicrogyria, a condition where the brain develops with too many small and abnormally folded gyri (ridges) on the surface. Cade has been diagnosed with focal seizures, tonic-clonic seizures, and a particularly severe form of epilepsy known as infantile spasms. These spasms and seizures cause profound neurological damage if left uncontrolled. At 3 months, Cade was smiling, giggling, holding his head and trunk up during tummy time, and cooing. Since the onset of his seizures, we have lost each one of these milestones.

Cade has already tried a long list of anti-seizure medications with little to no relief. Doctors refer to this as refractory epilepsy, meaning it is extremely resistant to treatment.

Cade was evaluated for surgery at the Cleveland Clinic last year, but because he has seizure activity in several regions of the brain, he is not currently a good candidate. 

Most recently, Cade has started the medical keto diet. While we have not seen a significant impact yet, we have been told it can take up to 3 months to be effective.

As a result of the seizures, Cade’s development has been stalled. We still work every day on head and trunk control, oral and social skills, and fine motor. Progress is slow, and we find ourselves celebrating the mini-stones and cherishing every win. 

As Cade grows, it has become more difficult to find toys and equipment that suit his needs. Adaptive toys and items are prohibitively expensive, but will eventually be necessities.

The cost of Cade's medical care has been overwhelming. Cade has private insurance, but the sheer volume of appointments, therapies, procedures and medications has led to steadily mounting medical debt and overwhelm.

Cade's disability makes him eligible for Medicaid assistance, but he has been placed on a 3+ year waiting list, and his needs and treatments continue to escalate. We currently pay monthly on our enormous hospital balance, purchase Cade’s medical formula completely out of pocket (~$350/month), and have monthly prescription co-pays totaling over $250/month. 

Every dollar raised for Cade will go directly toward his medical expenses, including neurosurgery consultations and procedures, specialized formula, ongoing seizure medications and monitoring, and other costs associated with his medical care.

Thank you for reading Cade’s story, and helping us achieve our only goal as parents — the best possible outcome for our little boy. 

Neither of us are proud about asking for financial help, but donations have helped tremendously in easing our burden so we can focus on making memories with Cade.

If you're able to donate, share, or send a prayer - thank you. You are a part of Cade's story, and we are grateful for your support.

With hope and love,

Samantha & Chris