Help Joaquin Ross get the medical care he needs!

This beautiful soul is Joaquin Ross Martinez, or as he says, “noooo not Martinez just Joaquin Ross.” He is the smartest, happiest, brightest little man. And he has had so many challenges in his short life. Which has led us to today and to this gofundme. We must move to Colorado to be near his doctors at the Children’s Hospital Colorado, CHCO, for him to receive the necessary care, as UNMH does not have the capacity to care for him here.

Joaquin Ross is our life. He was our miracle after years of failed fertility treatments, miscarriages, and so much more. He was born on New Year's Eve, during a blizzard, and 3 weeks early. He was very small but healthy. Unfortunately, that only lasted a few weeks. His very first surgery was at 3 weeks old. He was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and had to have his first lifesaving surgery. Then at 6 months old, Joaquin was diagnosed with a condition called hydrocephalus, which means too much fluid in his brain. He then had his 2nd lifesaving surgery, but this time, he needed a surgical implant called a VP shunt to drain the fluid from his brain to his belly. With a VP shunt comes the constant anxiety of WHEN - not if - his shunt will fail. In the last 4 years Joaquin has had a total of 7 brain surgeries, one of which caused a stroke when Joaquin was just over 2. Honestly, we could write a novel on the complications of his hydrocephalus - besides the brain surgeries there have been about a dozen hospitalizations and more ER visits than we can or want to count. He has PTSD from these experiences, debilitating migraines, and takes medicine twice a day that tastes like chewing mouthfuls of aspirin. Joaquin also has a diagnosis of autism, which makes the disruptions and uncertainty especially challenging.

As if all of this wasn't enough already, after our last trip to CHCO, in August 2023, the tests show signs of a second brain condition called Intracranial Hypertension, a possible tethered spinal cord, and a possible laryngeal cleft. These new diagnoses mean Joaquin faces more tests, procedures, and surgeries. The last 2 ½ years have been spent driving back and forth from Albuquerque to Aurora, CO, for Joaquin to see all the specialists he needs. The decision to move has been the hardest and easiest choice we have ever made in our lives. We love our son with all that we are and we have sacrificed so much to make sure he has what he needs. As a parent of a child with special needs who is medically fragile, Cynthia has more than a full-time job managing his care. Samuel is the only working parent, our finances are stretched to the limit.

Please help us make the move from Albuquerque to Aurora, CO. Help us move so that we can get Joaquin the care he needs without planning in 14 hours of driving, days of lost income, money spent on food, and time in a hotel for each round of appointments. Please help us keep our son’s beautiful light shining.

Please message us if you would like other ways to donate or help.