Alex Tarp Medical Expense Fund
Donation protected
My name is Kathy Lewis, I have been friends with Andrea (Osburn) Tarp for more than 25 years. We have always tried to be there for each other, like sisters from different mothers. Her boys Shaun and Alex have been unofficial nephews to me and cousins to my children. We are like family.
The Tarps have had more than their fair share of hardships in the last many years for example, Shaun's Type 1 Diabete's diagnoses several years ago but they have persevered. Getting involved with the Junior Diabete's Foundation, doing walks and holding fundraising sales. Andrea and Mike have been there through thick and thin for their sons.
Alex is a great goofy kid who is hugely active in his church and community. He loves to sing with his church group, even traveling to other churches and locations to bring joy to those around him. He has been healthy all of his 16 years until April 4th of this year he got sick with what they first thought was the flu but with awful headaches that wouldn't go away. He then started having scary seizures that would totally disorient him and twice an ambulance had to take him from the rural part of the Sierra Mountains in California where The Tarp Family lives to Sutter Hospital in Sacramento where they ran a battery of tests in ICU. The neurologist there thought he had something called "Brain on Fire" a form of encephalitis. He has since been flown to UCSF where the doctors continue to run tests and try to figure out exactly what he has and what is causing his brain to malfuction. He continues to have several seizures a day, most of them he is recovering from more quickly but they haven't figured out how to stop them altogether.
Andrea and Mike run a direct marketing service out of their home as their major source of income and Mike does some screen printing work. Having spent the better part of a month so far traveling back and forth approx 4 hours each way, attemping to get some work done and then driving back. Ronald McDonald House has been putting them up in San Francisco for now but that is not a given...each time they return home to take care of their business there is a risk that their room might be given to another needy family. Gas, parking and food alone has been astronomical and there is no telling at this point what the 2 ambulance rides, helecopter flight and 4 weeks (and counting) stay in the hospital will cost after insurance pays their portion.
Any little bit will add up and help the Tarp Family get through this terrible time. Please share this campaign even if you can't afford to donate. Thank you!
The Tarps have had more than their fair share of hardships in the last many years for example, Shaun's Type 1 Diabete's diagnoses several years ago but they have persevered. Getting involved with the Junior Diabete's Foundation, doing walks and holding fundraising sales. Andrea and Mike have been there through thick and thin for their sons.
Alex is a great goofy kid who is hugely active in his church and community. He loves to sing with his church group, even traveling to other churches and locations to bring joy to those around him. He has been healthy all of his 16 years until April 4th of this year he got sick with what they first thought was the flu but with awful headaches that wouldn't go away. He then started having scary seizures that would totally disorient him and twice an ambulance had to take him from the rural part of the Sierra Mountains in California where The Tarp Family lives to Sutter Hospital in Sacramento where they ran a battery of tests in ICU. The neurologist there thought he had something called "Brain on Fire" a form of encephalitis. He has since been flown to UCSF where the doctors continue to run tests and try to figure out exactly what he has and what is causing his brain to malfuction. He continues to have several seizures a day, most of them he is recovering from more quickly but they haven't figured out how to stop them altogether.
Andrea and Mike run a direct marketing service out of their home as their major source of income and Mike does some screen printing work. Having spent the better part of a month so far traveling back and forth approx 4 hours each way, attemping to get some work done and then driving back. Ronald McDonald House has been putting them up in San Francisco for now but that is not a given...each time they return home to take care of their business there is a risk that their room might be given to another needy family. Gas, parking and food alone has been astronomical and there is no telling at this point what the 2 ambulance rides, helecopter flight and 4 weeks (and counting) stay in the hospital will cost after insurance pays their portion.
Any little bit will add up and help the Tarp Family get through this terrible time. Please share this campaign even if you can't afford to donate. Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kathy Lewis
Organizer
Turlock, CA
Andrea Tarp
Beneficiary