End Ember’s Illness

Hi, I am Brittany Rubino, and I am a mother humbly asking for financial assistance with beginning treatment for my toddler’s Juvenile Arthritis.

Ember Rubino, now 5 years old, was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile Arthritis on July 31, 2019 by Children’s Hospital. JA is an incurable autoimmune disease, however, there is treatment so children can have somewhat of a normal life. Polyarticular means it affects more than 5 of her joints. At our last appointment with the rheumatologist, we learned the inflammation is now systemic and all throughout her body. If the inflammation attacks her tissues or organs, it will be fatal.

We tried the recommended pharmaceutical treatment, giving her Methotrexate and Enbrel injections weekly. She was not improving, and once I found out the dangers of these medications I refuse to inject her with something that will later give her cancer.

She has lived in pain for three years, and every single day I am researching to the ends of the earth on how to help my baby. I have learned the gut is the absolute core of your health. I searched the country for the perfect functional medicine doctor, and I have spoken with Melanie Wardle. Melanie received her nurse practitioner degree from the University of South Florida. She has previously worked at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. Melanie specializes in pediatrics, and her scope of practice encompasses health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, and management of common and complex healthcare problems beginning in infancy and continuing into early adulthood.

Melanie would like to get to the root cause of Ember’s inflammation. She has recommended we begin with a Pediatric Panel ($200), a Micronutrient Panel ($550), an IGG ($700), and a CSAP ($605). The results of this testing will extensively tell us what is specifically going wrong in her little body, and where we need to go from here to fix those issues. It will be a lifestyle change, but a desperately needed one we are more than willing to embark on.

My Ember suffers excruciating pain daily. She asks what she has done to hurt so bad; She sobs that she doesn’t want to cry anymore. Please assist me in this time when I feel absolutely helpless in getting my baby the immediate relief she needs. Watching her joints deteriorate, and the depravity of a normal childhood for her absolutely shatters me to my core.

I am forever thankful for every one of you who love and care about her. I am so grateful for your prayers, advice, and recommendations. To all of the arms that have held me as I cried, and all of the ears that have listened to my never ending sadness, I appreciate your support more than you know.

I am forever in debt to all of your generosity.

I have included just a few photos showing the ganglion cysts, knees, and ankles. Though she is currently suffering also with her back, shoulders, and hips. Pictures really do it no justice, but video footage is traumatizing.