Donation protected
As most of you are aware, recently we lost a very special member in our family. Ashton, son of Holly Gray and Chris Keough, who passed away with what is called Zellweger Syndrome. For those of you who are not familiar with this syndrome children who are born with this usually do not survive beyond the first year of life. Zellweger syndrome is caused by mutations in any one of at least 12 genes ; mutations in the PEX1 gene are the most common cause. It is a very rare genetic disorder that can cause many different signs and symptoms such as hearing loss, vision loss, liver dysfunction, poor muscle tone, seizures, also one can develop life-threatening problems in other organs and tissues, such as the liver, heart, and kidneys. Unfortunately, there is no cure to this awful disease. This was just to give you a brief overview of what exactly Zellweger syndrome is.
When ashton was born on Oct 22nd 2018, he brought so much joy and love into our family. But it wasn’t long after he was born that the nurses and doctors at the hospital could tell that there was something wrong. Ashton had to go through so many different tests. Cambridge hospital wasn’t fully equipped to give Ashton all the necessary testing he needed so he was sent to London hospital to get the best medical attention he could receive. He spend 2 and a half months in the hospital trying to figure out what had went wrong. Finally the doctors said he had Zellweger spectrum syndrome. This heart breaking news affected us all. Hearing that there was no cure for this sweet innocent baby broke our hearts in pieces. The parents were given the option to allow Ashton to stay at the hospital where he would spend the rest of his life in an incubator trying to prolong his life for as long as they could or have the option to take him home, put him on palliative care and allow him to live his life in the comfort of his own home surrounded by loved ones where he could be held and adored and loved unconditionally, but with no guarantee how much time we would have with this sweet baby.
Ashton came home. It was a hard decision as no one truly knew how long we would have with him. It could have been anywhere from a week to months to a year. We had high hopes that we could spend every waking moment with him for as long as possible. Ashton was a fighter, he fought hard for mom and dad and his siblings to stay here on this earth. During his time at home we had a few scares thinking this would be the last day or night we would hold him in our arms. But this boy, he pulled through every single time, showing us how strong he could be, how tough he was and that he wasn’t ready to give up this fight. This boy, he stole the show and the hearts of everyone who laid eyes on him. He brought us together as a family and showed us how to be there for one another and support each other. He himself made us a stronger unit.
On February 24th 2019, That morning, Ashton decided to say goodbye. His work here was done and his eyes were tired. God called to him and brought him home to heaven to be the sweet angel he has always been. He no longer suffered. He was no longer in pain. We all held him in our arms and close to our hearts that one last time. He had just turned 4 months 2 days prior. Ashton may be gone in the physical world but he will forever remain in our hearts and be around us in spirit. We will always cherish and remember the wonderful memories we shared together, and even though he may have been 4 months old, we shared a lifetime of love, laughter, and joy. We did this as a family.
We have created this GoFundMe page in hopes that by reaching out to all of you, that we could somehow help this family in their time of need. The grieving process is never easy and the financial issues that come with it too can be very hard on the family. With Ashton being home in palliative care, the costs of living, medical expenses, and funeral costs has really taken a toll on the family. With dad having to take time off work to be home with his precious boy to make sure Ashton had the best care from both parents, the medical bills coming through, and the funeral costs (cremation, urn, gathering, flowers etc.) all of these expenses have caused a financial hardship . We have hopes in raising money for this family to help them in any way possible. Even the smallest donation helps and is greatly appreciated. No amount of money will ever take away the pain they’re currently feeling but if it can help take away the added stress, then I believe we have achieved something great. Our goal is to raise $1500 to give to the family and help pay for any extra costs. It’s not easy burying a loved one, especially when it’s your own child. We would love nothing more than to help Holly and Chris to ease their minds and have them know they do have a lot of love and support all around them.
From the bottom of our hearts,
We thank you.
When ashton was born on Oct 22nd 2018, he brought so much joy and love into our family. But it wasn’t long after he was born that the nurses and doctors at the hospital could tell that there was something wrong. Ashton had to go through so many different tests. Cambridge hospital wasn’t fully equipped to give Ashton all the necessary testing he needed so he was sent to London hospital to get the best medical attention he could receive. He spend 2 and a half months in the hospital trying to figure out what had went wrong. Finally the doctors said he had Zellweger spectrum syndrome. This heart breaking news affected us all. Hearing that there was no cure for this sweet innocent baby broke our hearts in pieces. The parents were given the option to allow Ashton to stay at the hospital where he would spend the rest of his life in an incubator trying to prolong his life for as long as they could or have the option to take him home, put him on palliative care and allow him to live his life in the comfort of his own home surrounded by loved ones where he could be held and adored and loved unconditionally, but with no guarantee how much time we would have with this sweet baby.
Ashton came home. It was a hard decision as no one truly knew how long we would have with him. It could have been anywhere from a week to months to a year. We had high hopes that we could spend every waking moment with him for as long as possible. Ashton was a fighter, he fought hard for mom and dad and his siblings to stay here on this earth. During his time at home we had a few scares thinking this would be the last day or night we would hold him in our arms. But this boy, he pulled through every single time, showing us how strong he could be, how tough he was and that he wasn’t ready to give up this fight. This boy, he stole the show and the hearts of everyone who laid eyes on him. He brought us together as a family and showed us how to be there for one another and support each other. He himself made us a stronger unit.
On February 24th 2019, That morning, Ashton decided to say goodbye. His work here was done and his eyes were tired. God called to him and brought him home to heaven to be the sweet angel he has always been. He no longer suffered. He was no longer in pain. We all held him in our arms and close to our hearts that one last time. He had just turned 4 months 2 days prior. Ashton may be gone in the physical world but he will forever remain in our hearts and be around us in spirit. We will always cherish and remember the wonderful memories we shared together, and even though he may have been 4 months old, we shared a lifetime of love, laughter, and joy. We did this as a family.
We have created this GoFundMe page in hopes that by reaching out to all of you, that we could somehow help this family in their time of need. The grieving process is never easy and the financial issues that come with it too can be very hard on the family. With Ashton being home in palliative care, the costs of living, medical expenses, and funeral costs has really taken a toll on the family. With dad having to take time off work to be home with his precious boy to make sure Ashton had the best care from both parents, the medical bills coming through, and the funeral costs (cremation, urn, gathering, flowers etc.) all of these expenses have caused a financial hardship . We have hopes in raising money for this family to help them in any way possible. Even the smallest donation helps and is greatly appreciated. No amount of money will ever take away the pain they’re currently feeling but if it can help take away the added stress, then I believe we have achieved something great. Our goal is to raise $1500 to give to the family and help pay for any extra costs. It’s not easy burying a loved one, especially when it’s your own child. We would love nothing more than to help Holly and Chris to ease their minds and have them know they do have a lot of love and support all around them.
From the bottom of our hearts,
We thank you.
Co-organizers (2)
Sara Gray
Organizer
Cambridge, ON
June Manfini
Co-organizer