Help for Quentin, Ashley, and Alex

My name is Joyce. I want to tell you about a most excellent dude I know named Quentin. I first met Quentin as a preschooler. After talking to Quentin and his dad, we discovered that my daughter was in the same class! The two became fast friends! Quentin invited my family to his 5th birthday party, where I met Ashley, Quentin's mom. I had no idea this party would plant the seeds of a friendship that grew into family over the years. Quentin is ten now, and I have watched him grow into a witty, intelligent, thoughtful young man. This boy has one of the biggest personalities I know, and his heart is even bigger!

On the morning of July 27th, Quentin was found unresponsive in his bed. He was rushed to Dayton Children's Hospital Emergency Department, where he went into cardiac arrest. Doctors administered CPR, and Quentin was resuscitated. Testing shows that Quentin has diabetes and is suffering from Diabetic Ketoacidosis along with kidney failure. He was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dayton Children's. Currently, his breathing is aided by a ventilator, he is heavily sedated, and doctors are working on getting him stabilized. It is now a waiting game as to when he will wake up. The next few days are very critical.

Some good news: Quentin's pupils are no longer dilated and react to light. He responds when asked to squeeze a hand or move an arm, the medicine to bring his blood sugar down is working, and he briefly opened his eyes. Quentin is headed in the right direction and is still fighting to wake up but is not out of the woods yet.

Quentin lives with Ashley and her partner, Alex. Both are self-employed in the gig economy but are bedside with Quentin at the hospital. Since Ashley and Alex are self-employed, they don't get paid time off or sick days to cover living costs while at the hospital. When they don't work, there is no income. They take pride in their hard work and often give what little they have to help others. It is no wonder that Quentin has such a loving heart and is a phenomenal kid because these two put their hearts and souls into raising him.

Please consider giving Ashley and Alex a helping hand and alleviate some of their worries so they can spend time where they need to be; with Quentin.