Meet Buck Hunter

If you don’t know him or about him yet, where have you been? He’s kind of famous! But here’s the summary.

Buck will be turning one year old in about two weeks weighing in at about 15 lbs (maybe less since he’s been vomiting the past five days). Buck has spent roughly 305 days (and counting) in the hospital. We have been in hospitals in Louisiana, Texas, and now currently in Cincinnati. 

What’s wrong you ask? Good question! One that no doctor or test or scan or scope has yet to answer. Thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical bills and no answer. Insane, right?

Buck has an extremely rare condition, one that may not have ever been discovered, that doesn’t allow him to keep down any liquid or food. None. Nothing. He has gotten all of his nutrition these past 11 months from IVs, a G-tube, or a TPN. And even with these Buck will still have vomiting spells like he’s in the hospital now with.

Buck’s parents, my brother Jacob and sister-in-law Haylee, have been the MVPs of this entire journey. Tag teaming the six other kids at home, being Buck’s advocates—researching & demanding tests & changes to his care, managing his feeds and tubes, trying to work as much as they can to keep a roof over their family’s head and food on the table.

Now, imagine having to choose between staying home with your other children or being at the hospital with your baby who could possibly die. That’s exactly what Buck’s parents have to do every single day that Buck is in the hospital. Who goes and who stays behind?

It was hard enough when Buck was in Houston and now New Orleans, but it was at least close enough to load up the others kids and drive over for a weekend visit. But next week, they are heading to Cincinnati where we are all praying they get answers!! Cincinnati isn’t three hours away. This will put an even bigger strain on their life—-their marriage, their other children, their finances.

I know that so many of you have been praying and have already donated when Buck was at Texas Children’s, and our family is so grateful for every prayer and every dollar given. But the funds are gone— 11 months of hospital trips and stays has wiped everything out.

Jacob and Haylee are two of the most generous people I know. They were constantly volunteering their time and talents to so many organizations. They hired those who no one else would hire. They gave groceries to people when they asked for help on our community page. They gave so much to so many. They even started a foundation to help other families who find themselves in rhe hospital with sick children for extended amounts of time. They literally fundraise to help other people not themselves!

But now this family needs our help to get to Cincinnati and not have the extra stress of the medical bills coming in from past stays, the travel & living expenses in Cincinnati, or the bills back home hanging over their head. They need to be 100% focused on Buck and what his new team says.

If you don’t agree with helping people with things like this, that’s okay. Keep scrolling. But if you believe that God is asking you to lighten the financial load of this family, then please do. Every person who prays for and/or donates to help this family will be rewarded in this life or the next.

In case you need a little reminder of what Jesus said…

Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Matthew 25:40 – “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.”

Luke 3:11 – “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

Hebrews 13:16 – “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Simply make a monetary donation to Buck’s GoFundMe page (also in the comments).

And please, please pray not only for Buck, but for the doctors, for Jacob and Haylee, and for the other skids at home who haven’t had a “normal” life since Buck was born.

This is a situation that no one could possibly understand. So please keep your “ugly” to yourself and off these posts. Take it to God and see what He tells you.