Dollars for Dominic Ellerbe

Lisa Kemp-Gonzales is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Francesca Ellerbe.

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Hi, My name is Lisa and I am raising money for my little buddy and his family.

Meet 8 year old Dominic Ellerbe, a very outgoing, loving, smart, rambunctious, super sweet little boy who has never met a stranger. He will melt your heart with that smile and those big green eyes and he is the strongest little fighter I have ever met. He was born with Towns Brocks Syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder and he has been through so much in his short life.

He is currently in a hospital 3 hours from home on a ventilator, sedated and battling pneumonia. He and his family could really use our help. They have all been through more trials and tribulations than any family should have to go through. I am holding this fundraiser to help take the stress off of his parents' cost of travel and missed work and also to help find a more permanent solution to Dominic's medical issues.

Here is a little back story on Dominic's young life so far...

Dominic was born in 2015 with Towns Brocks Syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 250,000 births annually and there are only about 200 documented and reported cases in the US. His case was what should have been considered a mild form of this disease but medical decisions were made during emergency situations by hospital staff that has now forever affected this innocent little boy's way of life.

Dominic was found to have a narrowing of the airway and had to be intubated and a tracheostomy was put in to help him breathe. He also has a G-Tube for feeding and has since developed an oral aversion which makes it extremely difficult for him to eat or drink by mouth. This is further complicated by the Tracheostomy. The Trach placement also makes it very difficult for speech and he is more susceptible to illness requiring hospitalization.

Dominic's Opportunity

Dominic has had this tracheostomy and G-Tube since birth. His body overproduces secretions because of this and this often causes lower Oxygen saturation levels at night and he has Sleep Apnea when he sleeps as a result. His inability to properly clear his secretions and his compromised immune system and tracheostomy make him extremely susceptible to pneumonia and other diseases that often require long hospital stays.

We hope to:

Have the recommended surgery to correct his narrow jaw which will open up his airway. This will hopefully pave the way to have a decannulation and removal of his Tracheostomy.

Allow him greater participation in daily life without the fear of accidental decannulation. Learning to breathe on his own without the assistance of the Trach.

Help his language development by removing his tracheostomy so he can better communicate with his family and his peers.

Reduce the risk of complications and infection that comes with an open hole in his windpipe.

Removal of the Tracheostomy will allow Dominic to feel more confident when attempting to eat and drink by mouth. He will be able to actively participate in feeding therapy in order to overcome his oral aversion eventually paving the way to removing his feeding tube.

Some of the things his parents were told when Dominic was born:

He would probably be better off in Hospice care
There is a good chance that he will never develop Normally
He will probably never hit any of a child's milestones
He will probably never crawl
He will probably never walk

Now imagine being Dominic's parents and hearing these things. Imagine trying to find hope after that. Well, his parents did find hope and strength and they have been there with him fighting ever since.

Dominic did NOT go into Hospice care, Dominic is ABSOLUTELY developing and hitting milestones, Dominic DID crawl, Dominic DID walk and as a matter of fact, he actually RUNS VERY FAST and JUMPS TOO! He attends 1st grade, is very smart, and misses school and his friends.

Please help us give this sweet little boy the very best chance at the life he deserves - Our silly, funny, BRAVE, strong and mighty Dominic

He deserves ALL of the good things...