Help Antonio Recover from Lead Poisoning

Hi, my name is Lisa. My oldest son bought his first house a few years ago. He and his now wife moved their family of 6 into this beautiful home. Everything seemed to be going as you would expect life to go. Their youngest child, Antonio, who is now almost 3, does not talk much. As you know, children of this age hardly ever are quiet, lol. My son and daughter-in-law have begun trying to figure out why he doesn't talk. The doctor decided to do a lead level test on him. When we got the results, it was 65. The test was repeated with the same result. He was admitted to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO, last night. They repeated the lead test, did an x-ray and scan. The results: Lead Level 111, lead seen in his abdomen and intestines. His treatment plan is to have IV and oral chelation therapy (this process binds and removes heavy metals from the body). He will be in the hospital for at least 5 days.

This is where your help is needed; the downstairs of their home is old. As you know, lead is often found in the paint of this type of home. There are 4 rooms that will need to have the walls stripped down, insulation, sheetrock replaced, and painted. My son works in a factory in Neodesha, and my daughter-in-law is a cashier. This is a HUGE expense that there is no time to plan and save for. My son is wanting to get as much out of the house as he can while Antonio is in the hospital. The upstairs has been redone, so it is safe for them to be up there. They also have family that they can stay with if needed. The family is helping as much as we can, but we know this chore will far exceed what we can do in the money part. We all are willing to help with the work and as much money as possible.

We do not know what long-term effects there may be, beyond his delayed speech. The doctors have told us that this treatment will reduce his levels, but as time goes on, the levels will leach out of his organs and bones, so the levels may rise again, and he will need to repeat the chelation treatments. Any help and prayers will be greatly appreciated.