Elias and his family Davina, Viet and Emilia

I am reaching out on behalf of a dear friend, who has grown as a part of my family as a little Sister, Davina Nguyen (Bulgin) for help for her son Elias.

Since the young age of just 18 months, sweet Elias started showing signs of erratic and sometimes dangerous tendencies.

Although at first, his parents thought it was “just a phase” they soon realized it was much more than that.

Elias also didn’t speak until after he was 3 years old, although very smart and gifted, he could not vocalize his feelings or thoughts and in turn, would express them the only way he knew how, through physical expressions and these behaviours became even more concerning.

After months of back and forth to the hospital for testing, Elias was finally diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3, being level 2 on the spectrum and was told he would need substantial help in order to navigate and thrive in life. Elias is now 6 years old and as you can expect with him getting older and stronger, his behaviours are becoming even more difficult to navigate without help from health professionals.

This past year has been incredibly challenging for their family. They’ve faced two hospitalizations for threats of causing harm not only to himself but, also, harm to his teachers. They had their first call to 911 for elopement 2 blocks from his school, and numerous days without school. He has catastrophic meltdowns that are unpredictable, very disheartening and dangerous for not only his family, but especially for him, And, these are just the tip of the iceberg when concerning this beautiful boy and his family. But, without painting him in a jaded light, because he truly has the biggest heart, we’ll just say it’s so unfair that our medical system is failing him and that help for this special little boy seems so far away, when he so desperately needs and deserves it.

On May 9th 2025 their Urgent Response Funding ends. And, URS will no longer cover any therapy for Elias.

This has covered months of ABA therapy for Elias which is helping substantially to navigate Elias’s very unique and challenging needs. This is their 3rd round in 2 years. Everytime for a new and worsening (more dangerous and concerning) behaviour. Also, in the next couple weeks they will be ongoing more medical tests to dig deeper into Elias’s needs to try and come up with other means of helping him as well.

Going forward, medical cost will be roughly around $1400 a month for special behavioural therapy for Elias, not including, parent coaching and respite for him and without it, would be detrimental to him continuing to progress with the therapy and behavioural management he needs, that his family, as much as they’ve tried, can not do solely alone and without this urgent response program and medical intervention.

They have been on the Ontario Autism program wait list from the date of diagnosis April 2023. The wait list for funding for therapy and or private schooling for behavioural children is averaging at 5-7 years. Elias is 6, he will be 9-11 years old at that time and his parents and their medical team included, agrees that by that time it may be too late to help Elias. The extent of the things that have happened in his short life since 18m old until now being 6 are dark and hard to believe could happen with the sweet and kind boy we all have grown to love and adore.

And although, they’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated team working closely with them to help navigate all of this, that alone is not enough.

I am asking you to reach into your heart and pockets to help this boy and their family to continue to achieve his goals and to continue to get the treatment he deserves and needs. In the next few months leading up to September, without help, this family will ensue medical costs equal to or more than $10,000. And that’s just for this single “Urgent Response Program” and therapy.

Please, if you can, no amount is too big or small and this family and little boy will forever be grateful. Even just share the post in hopes that someone else will donate as well.

I thank you in advance with hopes of reaching and exceeding our goal to help this special boy.