Give Hope "Back" To Ethan

First off, thank you to all who have taken the time to read my story. As many of you know, I have a 17yr old son Ethan, who has Achondroplasia, dwarfism. But what most of you do not know, is that Achondroplasia is so much more than just short stature and adaptations. With it, unfortunately, comes many medical and health issues. Ethan is definitely no stranger to pain, to say the least. He has lived the majority of his life in some form. His life has consisted of countless hospital stays and numerous surgeries. His last being on July 12, 2018 at the Shriners Hospital in Shreveport, LA, where he underwent a multi level laminectomy from L1-L5 with spinal fusion, for severe spinal stenosis. Ok, so let me rewind just a bit. Several years prior to Ethan's back surgery, walking, standing, and even sitting, became more and more difficult for him. Not only was he in severe pain, but he was losing feeling in both legs, often with his feet going numb, cold and tingly, interfering with his walking and daily activities.  We tried several alternative methods prior to surgery, with no relief. Things were getting worse, and fast. Ethan had absolutely NO quality of life. He became homebound from school in March of 2018, because simply getting around school was far too difficult. So fast forward to July 12, 2018, surgery day. Nervous and anxious, was an understatement for sure, but  also excitement at the thought of Ethan finally getting some relief. Mind you, the Dr. had already told us that Ethan would never be pain free, but he felt he could possibly get his pain level down from an 8 to 10 to a 2 or a 3. Surgery went well and hopes were high. The first several weeks were extremely tuff, but seemed promising.  And then, the pain came back, and worse than before. We were confused to say the least. We knew the risks, but things had seemed to be going so well. We returned back to Shriners on November 30th for a follow up and the dr. simply told Ethan that there was nothing more he could do for him. That unfortunately, he would more than likely live in chronic pain for the rest of his life. I simply would not except this news, nor did I want my then 16yr old, to think this was it for his life. We soon followed up with a second opinion at Children's Hospital in Little Rock, AR, where we were given the same prognosis, but were advised to seek out a doctor that specialized in Ethan's dwarfism. Sadly, there is no one in Arkansas that does. There are several skeletal dysplasia clinics, but they are scattered all over the United States. So I immediately made a phone call to a genetics doctor in Madison, WI, that helped confirm Ethan's diagnosis at birth, for recommendations. We were referred to a Dr. Mackenzie at the Nemours DuPont Hospital in Wilmington, DE. Good news is, they except Ethan's Arkansas Medicaid. After review of the MRI's I sent of Ethan's back, they definitely feel without a doubt that he will need another back surgery. Even better, they feel they can help him. They physically would like to lay eyes on Ethan before scheduling a surgery, so they have put us on the books to be seen on April 18th with both Dr. Mackenzie and a neurosurgeon. Here's where we could use the help. Of course, insurance will cover all medical expenses, but there will be other cost that I will be out of pocket, such as travel expenses and lodging. We know that we will be there from April 17th-19th, but will be returning for a surgery, hopefully soon after. The money I am trying to raise, would cover both trips. I am an extremely private person. I'm not a big poster of things on Facebook or any other social media and I'm definitely not one to ask for money, but I would do anything for my son. I told Ethan, I would drive, fly, whatever I had to do, to get him the help he needs. He has already missed his entire Junior year of school and desperately would like to return for his Senior year, or at least, the majority of it. He spends anywhere from 21-23 hours a day in his bed, because laying down seems to give him the most relief. Despite what he has been through, his spirit is constant. His hope and faith in God, never waivers. He never complains and he always has a smile on his face. A few nights ago, as I was up rubbing his back, his head face down in his pillow, he was praying to be pain free. He doesn't know what that would be like, and as a mother, that hurts. My hope and prayer for my son, is to do whatever it takes, to give him his life back. I want him to be able to do the simple things in life that we take for granted, without pain pills and being in excruciating pain. For those of you who can help, thank you so very much in advance, and for those of you who can't, your prayers are needed just as much. I will be posting updates along the way.