Help Leo and Emma Through This Medical Crisis

I am starting this GoFundMe on behalf of Leo Richter, and his sister Emma Richter, both of whom I have known for the last decade. Leo is currently at Maine Medical Center in Portland undergoing treatment for a recently discovered brain tumor, which has caused great hardship for Leo and his sister, who has been his primary support system and caretaker as needed throughout the last few months.

Over the last few months, both Leo and Emma have accumulated a lot of additional expenses due to Leo’s medical needs. All money donated will go towards various needs to support both Emma and Leo. Examples include medical bills, travel expenses, and Leo’s living expenses and personal bills. The goal is to take some of the burden off of both Leo and Emma, so Leo can focus on his health and Emma can continue to help care for him. Additional information about Leo can be found below.

Leo began having symptoms, including memory loss and confusion, about two months ago. His symptoms were originally misdiagnosed as Lyme Disease, but due to the diligence and watchfulness of his loved ones, he was brought to Waldo County General Hospital on August 15th after a severe and rapid increase in his symptoms. It was there he received further testing and imaging where they found out he had a brain tumor near his pineal gland, which caused acute severe hydrocephalus, or severe fluid buildup in his brain.

Leo was transported by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland on August 18th, where he underwent further treatment. Leo has undergone an initial surgery to place a tube into his brain to drain the excess fluid and recently had to have another surgery to replace the tube. He has also received multiple scans to give the doctors better images and to rule out the possibility of other tumors. Leo spent the first week of his stay in the ICU for further monitoring as he was experiencing issues with his vision, balance, and memory.

Leo is presently still at the hospital, and we are awaiting further news about his upcoming treatment plan. Leo will likely need brain surgery to remove the tumor, as well as an extended hospital stay to recover. In the event this happens, Leo will also need to go to a rehabilitation facility for a few months to aid his recovery.