My nephew Nathaniel, who is only 23 years old, nearly died this month. On January 3rd, Nathaniel's brother noticed how dangerously thin he'd become and that he couldn't get warm. They went to the ER, and what the doctors found was horrifying—Nathaniel was literally days from death. He had a fecal impaction so severe that the doctors said it was the largest they'd seen in 40 years of practice. It was crushing his internal organs. He also had a dangerous blood clot in his liver that had to be treated before they could even attempt surgery. He was transferred to San Francisco immediately. The surgery left him with a massive vertical incision down his abdomen and an ostomy bag that he may need for the rest of his life. While he's been in the hospital, we finally learned why he's been suffering: Nathaniel has Autoimmune Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He's been in agonizing pain for years and just kept pushing through. The doctors say he'll be hospitalized for at least another week or two, and then he'll need to go to a rehab facility before he can even walk properly again.
As the oldest of 10 children in an unstable home, Nathaniel became a caretaker when he should have been a kid himself. He's normalized his own suffering, never complaining about the severe pain we now know he was in. He stopped believing he deserved to feel better or get help for his pain. When he arrived at the hospital, he was so emaciated the doctors said he wouldn't have survived another few days. That's how long he suffered in silence. His illness made it impossible to keep a steady job. Now he's facing mountains of medical bills, a lifetime of expensive medications to manage his IBD, and he has nothing to fall back on. We were able to get him approved for a low-income apartment for when he gets out of rehab, but he needs help with everything else: medical bills and ongoing treatment costs, medications for his IBD (these are lifelong), rent, utilities and food, an inexpensive, reliable car to get to doctor appointments, and living expenses while he gets strong enough to work again.
Nathaniel is so young to be facing such overwhelming physical and emotional trauma. We are hoping to lighten his financial struggles so he can focus on healing, rebuilding, and finding hope for his future. This kid has been through more than anyone should ever have to endure, and he's survived against all odds. He deserves a chance to actually live, not just survive. He deserves to have a home, to manage his health, to not be in constant pain, and to finally put himself first for once in his life. Anything you can give helps. Even if you can't donate, sharing this would mean the world to us. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nathaniel's story and for any help you can offer.
As the oldest of 10 children in an unstable home, Nathaniel became a caretaker when he should have been a kid himself. He's normalized his own suffering, never complaining about the severe pain we now know he was in. He stopped believing he deserved to feel better or get help for his pain. When he arrived at the hospital, he was so emaciated the doctors said he wouldn't have survived another few days. That's how long he suffered in silence. His illness made it impossible to keep a steady job. Now he's facing mountains of medical bills, a lifetime of expensive medications to manage his IBD, and he has nothing to fall back on. We were able to get him approved for a low-income apartment for when he gets out of rehab, but he needs help with everything else: medical bills and ongoing treatment costs, medications for his IBD (these are lifelong), rent, utilities and food, an inexpensive, reliable car to get to doctor appointments, and living expenses while he gets strong enough to work again.
Nathaniel is so young to be facing such overwhelming physical and emotional trauma. We are hoping to lighten his financial struggles so he can focus on healing, rebuilding, and finding hope for his future. This kid has been through more than anyone should ever have to endure, and he's survived against all odds. He deserves a chance to actually live, not just survive. He deserves to have a home, to manage his health, to not be in constant pain, and to finally put himself first for once in his life. Anything you can give helps. Even if you can't donate, sharing this would mean the world to us. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nathaniel's story and for any help you can offer.