Dylan is my little cousin in Georgia, a wonderful 17-year-old senior in high school and also works long hours at Publix. He can be found working out, working on his car, or at work making money for his car.

Recently, Dylan discovered he has a large clot in his subclavian vein, extending from his elbow to behind his heart. A CT scan revealed the cause of the clot. He has a narrower space between his clavicle and first rib that puts pressure on the vein, causing the clot to form. He is going to have a procedure to remove as much clot as they can, then a stent will be placed in the vein that will deliver clot-busting medicine for up to 24 hours, depending on how much clot remains. He will be sent to the pediatric ICU afterward until the stent is removed. They had to go back in to remove the stent and checked the left side as well and found a narrowing of that passage as well. Soon, Dylan will have surgery to remove the first rib on both sides. He is being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta with the hematology team and then will be having his rib removal surgery at Emory Hospital.

Right now, he is being cared for by his mom, Joanna. Unfortunately, Jo is out of paid leave. She has been working on clearing her parents' house after her dad passed, and her disabled mother has moved into her home. Dylan’s also a huge part in her caregiving team when he’s not at work or school as she needs round the clock care from family or a hired nurse. There was also an unexpected death of Joanna's sister in August, which has left her with no more time off work. Please consider donating to help ease her troubles and cover some of the expenses while she is off work. The funds will be sent directly to Joanna and will be used to pay their livings expenses and bills while she is out of work.