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This fundraiser is to help my son Aiden with his battle against Crohn’s Disease, immune deficiency, and Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus.
Aiden is 16 years old and has battled Very Early Onset IBD since age 2. While he has had many ups and downs in trying to control and stabilize his Crohn’s disease, we had some success through conventional, nutritional, and holistic therapy. However, he fell out of remission in 2022 when he became infected with the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). It sent his Crohn’s into a major flare and added many complications since then. We have faced two cancer scares since then, both for lymphoma and/or EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders. We have been required to regularly travel between Las Vegas (where we live) and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California). As you can imagine, it is a very costly situation for us. Aiden requires many oral medications, weekly/monthly infusions, and all of these require out-of-pocket copays. Not to mention, ER visits, etc. We utilize all programs and facilities like non-profit organizations that fly us out to these appointments in California and always stay with family or at the Ronald McDonald House when available, but traveling and living in hospitals is very financially difficult for our family. I am not able to work as I am Aiden’s primary caretaker. We have one income through my husband (Aiden’s father works full-time), but being chronically ill and spending a majority of our time in clinics, hospitals, and just being away from home for medical care has become so difficult.
Aiden is due to be in California 7/14-7/18 at CHLA for surgical follow-up on a complication from his lymph node biopsy (on 6/12), immunology appointments, upper endoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies, as well as more routine labs. Upon return to Las Vegas, he is supposed to start rituximab and IVIG the week of July 25th. He requires weekly clinic infusions, port flushes, and fluids to be administered. We are asking first and foremost for prayers. Prayers for us to help see Aiden through this difficult time. In addition, we are trying to get Aiden back on track and anything that can help him battle these diseases he faces, side effects from medications, surgeries, etc. Our goal is to implement a healthy diet and supplements to support his immune system, as well as additional items to offer support to him during this time. Items that would help, if you prefer to assist in that way, will be linked in an Amazon link below. If you would like to assist by emailing gas or grocery cards, that helps tremendously as when we are in California, we are traveling downtown to appointments when we can’t stay at Ronald McDonald House, and when we do, we need to provide our own groceries when staying at Los Angeles RMH. There is a Vons grocery store next to the hospital, so it is a 5-minute walk from the hospital or RMH. Our family appreciates your generosity during this difficult time, and our hopes are to get Aiden stable and then on a path to recovery.
Sincerely,
The Espinoza Family
Amazon Link
if you would like to send Aiden anything directly to help him pass the time during hospital stays you can contact me through the contact button below.
(but definitely not necessary )