Help Our Family Stay Afloat During Oaklee’s Upcoming Surgery
Our family is facing one of the hardest chapters of our journey yet. Our sweet son Oaklee was born with a rare condition called bladder exstrophy, meaning his bladder formed on the outside of his body. Since birth, he’s faced countless surgeries, hospital stays, and moments no child should ever have to endure , all with the same bright spirit and strength that continues to amaze us every single day.
At just four days old, Oaklee underwent his first major surgery. Unfortunately, it failed after a severe staph infection spread through his body and destroyed his sutures, leaving him to heal through an incredibly difficult recovery. Since then, he’s had multiple surgeries to correct and repair what the infection took from him. Now, we are preparing for his biggest surgery yet , a full bladder reconstruction that will include both his hips being broken during surgery that will, hopefully, give him the comfort and quality of life he deserves.
This surgery will require at least two weeks in the hospital and six weeks of recovery at home, though we know from experience that complications could make that time longer. While we are doing everything we can to stay strong, the truth is that this is going to hit our family financially in ways we simply can’t manage alone.
My husband works 5 days a week, and even on his “days off,” he’s side hustling, doing everything he can to keep our family afloat. He is the hardest working man I know ... but no amount of hard work can stretch a paycheck to cover weeks of lost income, travel, food, and bills while living between home and hospital. I can see the stress wearing on him, and it breaks my heart. This GoFundMe isn’t just about the money , it’s a plea from me as his wife to lift some of the weight off his shoulders so he can breathe again, even just a little.
Like many families, we live paycheck to paycheck. We’ve weathered so much, and every time, we’ve found a way to make it through. But this time, we know we need help. Between keeping food on the table, paying the bills, and being there for both of our boys. It’s more than we can carry alone.
If you’re able to donate, share, or even just send love and prayers our way, it would mean more to us than words can ever say. Every bit of kindness brings us one step closer to stability and allows us to focus on what matters most , helping Oaklee heal and keeping our family together through this storm.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading, for caring, and for standing with us.
— The Patterson Family
Steve, Austria, Bentlee & Oaklee