Give Luca a Chance for a Brighter Future

Hello everyone,

We have received some wonderful and very exciting news: our son, Luca, has been accepted into a clinical trial at Duke University! The trial is known as the Expanded Access Protocol: Umbilical Cord Blood Infusions for Children With Brain Injuries. This treatment will provide Luca with two rounds of umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy, where the goal is for the stem cells to repair existing brain damage and inflammation.

So why is this such an incredible opportunity? Luca is an identical twin. He and his brother made their entry into the world at 27 weeks gestation, and shortly after birth, it was discovered that they were both fighting a very bad blood infection. Luca was significantly more affected by this infection than his brother and proceeded to fight for his life for almost a week. Once doctors were confident that he was through the worst of the infection, it was discovered that Luca had experienced profound bilateral grade 4 intraventricular hemorrhages. Essentially, he had severely bled into both sides of his brain ventricles, which caused him to build pressure in his brain. It was decided shortly after this discovery that Luca would need to have the pressure relieved from his brain, and he underwent surgery to receive a VP shunt, which allows cerebrospinal fluid to drain from his brain into his abdomen. The outlook for Luca was bleak, but he was determined to prove doctors wrong every chance he could. Luca and his brother were eventually brought home after four long months in the NICU.

Today, Luca has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, which severely impedes his ability to move. He has significant vision issues due to the pressure in his brain, which damaged his optical nerves, and is developmentally delayed. We are very hopeful that this clinical trial treatment could possibly repair some of the damage and inflammation in his brain to improve these functions. Luca is an incredibly happy boy whose laughter is contagious, and his presence fills the room with joy! He has fought harder than most, just for his right to be here with his family and experience all that life has to offer. As his mother and father, we continue to advocate for Luca daily and fight to give him every possible opportunity in life. This clinical trial is something that can give him a chance at regaining some of what was lost.

At this time, Luca is officially in the clinical trial, and we are coordinating with the treatment team for final lab work and setting dates. The team would like to see Luca for his first round of cord blood infusion therapy at the end of August. The last hurdle is the financial piece. While the cord blood is free from the university, each patient still needs to pay for all of the other medical expenses before treatment can begin. Each round of treatment costs over $15,000. Duke University would like Luca to receive two rounds of this treatment as they believe this would give him the highest opportunity of seeing improvements to his conditions. With Brianna having to walk away from full-time employment to stay home with Luca, $35,000 is not something we can afford without help. With the clinical trial having an expiration, now is our best chance at being able to provide Luca with this opportunity of a lifetime, which is why we are asking for help.

If you are unable to donate, we immensely appreciate you taking the time to learn about our Luca and his journey. If you are able to donate, words will not be able to express our eternal gratitude. Thank you!