Help Christopher and Rebecca with Medical Expenses

Hello Everyone,

My name is Aaron and I'm part of a team of close friends and family helping Christopher, Rebecca, and Bianca to raise funds to help get them through a medical ordeal that has changed their lives forever.

On November 5, our much-loved brother, son, husband, father and friend, Christopher Robertson had to have sudden emergency surgery at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, for a sepsis infection related to his Crohn’s disease.

Unfortunately, the initial surgery on his intestines was not entirely successful. It resulted in an ostomy bag and two additional emergency surgeries the following week (picture above is after the second surgery). As a result of those three surgeries, Christopher’s kidneys stopped functioning, his whole body became swollen with edema including inside and around his lungs such that he was unable to breathe on his own.

On Saturday, November 19, the doctors took life-saving measures and moved Christopher into the Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”), intubated and put on a ventilator, and continuous ongoing dialysis for several weeks. Much of that time he was unconscious and struggling to survive. The doctors struggled as well because there were ongoing leaks from his intestines and time was running out for his body and the antibiotics to fight the spreading infection and heal the leak on their own. The doctors knew that Christopher could not take another surgery.

To everyone's relief, the doctors slowly brought Christopher back to a conscious state and removed the breathing tube in early December and he has been recovering ever since. He continues to receive dialysis 3 times a week and is gradually working his way back to solid foods. It has been an arduous and painful experience and Christopher is very fragile and exhausted, yet he is making steady, incremental progress. The medical staff are hoping he will be well enough to be transferred to a rehabilitation center in the coming week or two, and spend the rest of the 2023 year into early next year, undergoing intensive physical therapy before he can go home.

The immediate cost of medical bills, visiting, and upcoming therapy has been overwhelming. The lowest number we could come up with to get them through the immediate crisis is $15,000 (increased to $25,000 after learning about more unexpected costs), but if we can raise more they would be grateful because expenses will be ongoing and they can no longer rely on the same income Christopher was able to bring in before.

We would be deeply grateful for all of your loving support and strength and any contribution you may be able to make towards helping Christopher and his family through this very difficult time.

Lots of love to you all!

Aaron, Marisa, Keith, Serge and the team