Cassius, age 7, Medical Costs

This is the Finch Family. Chris, Kia, Marley and Cassius. We love this family. YOU love this family. And if you don't know this family, they are the family you WANT to know. Goofy, fun loving, quick witted, family oriented, hardworking and generous. 

On January 31, 2021, there was snow and sledding fun. Cold, runny noses and red cheeks and laughter. Together as a family, making memories and living their best life on snow covered hills.

Fast forward to a week later. Cassius isn’t feeling himself, still talking and hanging out, but not running around and growling and schooling everyone on the complete encyclopedia of dinosaurs. He’s a wild child and sitting still simply isn’t in his repertoire when he is on his game. He becomes more and more tired, but as we all would think, it’s just a normal, run of the mill, not feeling his best kinda day……but it wasn’t.

Deciding to take him to an open urgent med location, tests are run, things are looking okay and then quickly they aren’t. Now to Emergency Peds with heart irregularities. Admission to Cardiology/Pediatric ICU comes next with inflammation of the heart muscles. An unknown viral or bacterial infection triggered the acute myocarditis. Erratic blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, unusual liver levels and vomiting are just a few of the symptoms that Cassius, at age 7, was unexpectedly and fearfully experiencing. Intubation and a heart and lung machine was next. It was one unexpected and scary situation after another. A parent’s worst nightmare. And as we were all getting updates from Kia and Chris, we would all not only think about Cash, or Kia or Chris or Marley, but we’d think about our own families. Our own children. How quickly things can change.

Days and days in the ICU. Machines everywhere. Kia and Chris by Cassius side. Still caring for Marley and her well-being. Still attempting to communicate with family and friends, and there are a lot of us, who love them and this cooky, growly, spunky little boy so much. Trying to run their own business, keep a household, take care of their dog, and take care of themselves….all while focusing on Cash. His present. And the unknown difficulties of tonight and tomorrow.

The incredible team of nurses and doctors keep saying to them that it is a marathon, not a sprint. And it is obvious that has become a calming mantra for them to slow down, think about right now, and be in the present. Understanding that his healing, comes with time. And lots of it.

Unless it were to be seen, as Kia and Chris have seen, the image of such a lively young man such as Cash being forced to lay in a hospital bed for days upon weeks, sometimes having to be strapped down for fear of pulling out various IV’s and/or machines that are hooked up to his body is unimaginable. And this is what they have been witnessing. Day in and day out. Marathon, not sprint.

Medications, procedures, vomiting, blood work, test, after test, later and still in ICU over 2 weeks later, Cassius is healing. His recognition of what is happening becoming more and more apparent. Now not fully sedated, the impact is no longer simply physical for Cassius.

Each step forward there is hesitant relief. Cautiously hopeful to simply look forward in healing and petrified for the alternative of regressing. Breathing on his own, heart irregularities turning stable, less and less medication…all could not have happened without the strength and dedication of their entire family into Cassius’ recovery. He is what Kia has described as a “superhero” and we believe it to be so.

The road to recovery will be long. Marathon, not sprint. ICU to returning to a life prior to this happening is not going to happen overnight, nor is it going to happen smoothly nor is it going to happen in a vacuum or free of complications and financial expense. It will include a lengthy hospital stay, rehabilitation, possible continuation of medication, more doctor’s appointments and follow ups. It has become the biggest and most important part of their lives. All while the rest of their life obligations have not lessened or gone away.

When the idea of a GoFundMe campaign was brought to Kia and Chris there was understandable resistance. Through some arm twisting, and playing on their core beliefs that Universal Health Care is a right and not a privilege, they were able to recognize that it is a systemic issue that exists that as a result, could cripple any one of us in their circumstances.  They are looking at likely hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not in the millions already, just to pay for Cassius’ stay in the hospital. Never mind the trickle down impact of his future needs.

We feel helpless. You feel helpless. They feel completely helpless. We CAN help though. There are numerous ways to help, but few will have a more concrete impact than participating in funding Cash’s care and healing. It will help their entire family focus on giving their energy to loving and lifting each other up, instead of being consumed with the devastating impact of such exorbitant medical costs.

Marathon, not sprint. We are all Team Cassius.

Xo