Care for RJ

My name is Raoul Ortega and I am here for my son, Raoul Jr "RJ".

Our family has been in a whirlwind since the recent news that my oldest son, Raoul Jr, is terminally ill. Over the last year, RJ has struggled with his health steadily declining and we do not know how much time we have left with him as there is no cure.

RJ was born with a rare disorder called "Septo Optic Dysplasia" and "Panhypopituitarism". As a part of this, he was born blind and a part of his brain was underdeveloped. Later in his life he developed epilepsy. Fast forward to today, RJ is going through a lot of changes in his body, being a 16 year old boy, and his brain doesn't have the capacity to support the changes and his recent health conditions are exasperating his brain further. During RJ's recent health decline, he developed subclinical seizures that have impacted his brain, causing overall brain swelling.

Raoul Jr continues his care at Stanford Medical Hospital in Palo Alto. The aim is to get him into inpatient Rehab Care where he can continue to receive therapy and have access to resources. The ultimate goal is to bring him home to spend the rest of his time with family and friends. Through this journey your support will help our family with travel expenses (food, gas), resources and equipment that may not be covered by insurance to bring RJ home and beyond. Your support will also extend to helping me to take time off of work to be with him. I own my own photography business so turning down work means no income and it has been so challenging trying to continue work when my head and heart is where my son is. I am so grateful his mom, Mani, and stepfather, Jason, who have been able to take turns being with him and I would love to send more support their way as well.

RJ, has been a true resiliant force since birth and has the sweetest nature and spirit. He thrives with being with his family and friends and loves music and dancing. With his innate ability to live in the present moment and his funny sense of humor, RJ has been a symbol of innocence and joy his whole life and has shared that with all of us.

Although there is no way to stop the inevitable for Raoul Jr we plan to make lasting memories with him and to share his joy while he is still here. Our biggest goal is for RJ to maintain a quality of life and your support will help his family be together for him. We plan to provide important updates on this platform to keep you all informed.

Peace & Love,

Raoul & Family