Help Care for Cameron During His Health Battle

My name is Alicia Searcy. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and I'm the Executive Director Emerita of the Nashville nonprofit, Fashion is for Every Body. I'm starting this fundraising campaign for Cameron Parker and his mother. Kendra Hicks.

I've worked with Cameron's sister Kendall for the past eight years and, as a result, gotten to know Cam and Kendra. Cameron was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DMD is an incurable genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is a terminal illness and Cam has already outlived his doctor's prognosis. His condition is rapidly deteriorating and he's been hospitalized four times in the past 12 months. Cameron is currently at Vanderbilt with pneumonia, respiratory failure, cardiogenic shock and sepsis. Attempts to get his oxygen levels back to normal have been unsuccessful so, as I write this, Cam is undergoing a tracheotomy, which is a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the neck into the windpipe to help a person breathe:. and his BP and lungs are so fragile he cannot be anesthetized for the procedure. If everything goes smoothly he will need to stay in the hospital for two to three more weeks.

Cameron's Mother, Kendra, works two jobs. She is his primary caregiver and is paid a nominal amount by the state to do so. Kendra recently got a work-from-home customer service job and was just starting her training when Cam had to be hospitalized. The company has promised to keep her on but she can't resume her training until November. To make matters worse, Kendra was informed she won't receive any wages for being Cameron's caregiver while he's in the hospital.

So, Kendra has to deal with her son fighting for his life and both of her sources of income are on hold as monthly bills start rolling in. My ask is simple. Please give as much as you can so Kendra has a home, utilities, and food paid for when she and her son can finally return home.