Hey friends and family ~ Thank you so much for clicking on our gofundme. My name is Sofia, and Elliott is my big brother! My family and I are hoping to raise as much as we can to support him as he heals from his scary and unexpected battle against a rare and near-fatal kidney condition known as Rhabdomyolysis.

What Happened?

Three weeks ago, Elliott was exercising at his neighborhood's pool. Hours later, he was driving to the ER after experiencing excruciating muscle pain, dark urine, headache and nausea, and skyrocketing blood pressure. His labs were taken, and he was quickly admitted to the hospital. It was then that he was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition known as Rhabdomyolysis . This condition is rare, and results from the death of muscle fibers and the release of their contents (like myoglobin and lactic acid) into the bloodstream. (Click this link to watch a video and learn more about Rhabdomyolysis)

Elliott's kidneys were working so hard to filter out the toxins that had built up in his bloodstream, but they could not keep up. That Friday, his symptoms turned severe. He came down with a fever, had extreme headache and tremors, and couldn't stop vomiting. He was near renal failure. During that time, the doctors discovered that an anti-seizure medication that Elliott relied on put him at much greater risk for Rhabdo. He was taken off the medication, and a temporary dialysis port had to be inserted into the groin for emergency dialysis. A few days later, he went in for surgery to install the semi-permanent port into his chest, which he still has.

After weeks of battling against Rhabdo and no longer able to keep up with bills, Elliott was released from the Hospital, despite his kidneys functioning at a mere 10%.

What's Next?

Elliott is home, but he's still weak and relies on a walker to get stable. He's on a renal diet and has regular labs taken to monitor the progress of his kidneys. Unfortunately, Elliott's doctor has deemed him completely unable to return to work for the time being. Although he's working hard to make progress, his most recent kidney function measured at only 40%, and he still has a lot of recovering to do ... While the full cost of Elliott's medical expenses haven't come in, we expect more down the road and know they will be substantial after a lengthy hospital stay, two surgeries, and several rounds of dialysis. Any and all contributions towards easing this financial burden for Elliott will go directly towards living costs and medical bills, so that his focus can remain on his health.

Elliott is fighting every day to heal, and we as his family are so incredibly proud of him... His recovery and sobriety have remained his top priorities, and we know that what he's been through would be too much for most to handle; despite it all, his grit and optimism shines through the dark of one of his scariest battles yet, and we hope that this fund will ease the burden for him. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for sticking around to learn about Elliott's fight against Rhabdomyolysis and for sharing his story.