Help Aleister Eat and Live Without Fear

Aleister is 9 years old and has spent more time in the ER and PICU than any child should. Born with FPIES and living with numerous anaphylactic food allergies, he's finally in a treatment program that's working — but it's not covered by insurance, and the costs are draining his family.

It has been over a year since our last update, and our family has been quietly fighting a massive financial battle to keep Aleister safe.

Aleister is a brave, incredibly spirited boy with an infectious smile, a talent for jokes, and a laugh that can turn even the gloomiest day around. He adores his two older sisters and his little brother, now a toddler — he's the only one who can reliably get him laughing.

From the very start of his life, Aleister has faced more than most children could imagine. He was born with Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES), which has left his immune system compromised, and he also lives with numerous anaphylactic food allergies. Together, these conditions have led to countless hospital visits and stays in the PICU — including one Thanksgiving and Christmas spent there with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, where we were told that without treatment, he risked intubation and irreversible damage to his ability to talk, swallow, and eat. His allergies and asthma have also kept him from birthday parties, sleepovers, even sitting with friends at lunch. The fear of it all has weighed on him — some nights he cries and can't sleep.

Why the Food Allergy Institute

The Food Allergy Institute uses an innovative treatment called Biosimilar Immunotherapy through their Tolerance Induction Program (TIP), giving kids like Aleister the freedom to eat without fear and live a safer, healthier life. Coincidentally, Aleister's own pulmonologist previously worked with Dr. Inderpal Randhawa, the very physician who created the TIP program — which gave us extra confidence that this was the right path for him.

We started this journey flying into Long Beach for treatment at the Institute's original clinic. More recently, we've been driving to their Fremont clinic for his continued care. Every single visit costs us $435 out of pocket — and because his treatments and food challenges are so intense, they often require a 2-day trip. On top of visit fees, his necessary lab work costs over $1,000 at a time.

On top of the clinic visits, Aleister requires specific maintenance foods at home to keep his treatment progress on track, costing our family roughly $100 every month — an ongoing expense in addition to everything else.

Aleister's insurance, Sutter Health, refuses to cover this specialized care, labeling it "experimental".

For three years now, we've been plugging away at these bills out of pocket. We've managed to keep him in this vital program through pure grit — but three years of continuous out-of-pocket medical debt has completely drained our family's resources.

The cost of not getting this treatment is far greater — it's the risk to Aleister's life and future. Aleister still has a long way to go until he achieves his goal of eating without fear, but he's making real progress and being so brave through every visit.

Why we're asking now

We completely understand donor fatigue, and we are not asking our close friends and family to shoulder this. If you're not able to give, we understand completely — but if you can, please hit the Share button. Passing this link to community groups, local networks, or anyone who understands the reality of severe allergies is the greatest gift you can give our family right now.

Every contribution, big or small, brings Aleister one step closer to a life where he can eat birthday cake with friends, enjoy a family dinner, and grow up without the constant threat of a reaction. Thank you for staying by his side — for giving him the chance every kid deserves, to simply be a kid.

Follow Aleister's journey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551806357374