Help Save Avalon’s Life

This is Avalon. She is six years old. When she was born she was diagnosed with a heart defect. She had two open heart surgeries before she turned 1. At 2 years old, she was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer, and I was forced to leave my home in California behind and move her to Boston for treatment. She is now in remission, but in March 2023 we had another huge setback. Avalon lost her ability to move, she spent her days lying on the floor, and was unable to swallow solids and had to be fed through a g tube. After two weeks in the hospital, we found out she has a rare autoimmune condition. On top of that, the chemotherapy that saved her life caused irreversible damage to her kidneys and she is currently in the early stages of kidney failure.

Prior to her birth in 2018, I worked as an Account Executive for major software companies including IBM, SAP and Amazon. However, caring for her has been a full time job. I managed to make it work for a while, exhausting paid leave and then unpaid leave, falling farther behind due to the many doctors appointments, procedures and surgeries (two open heart surgeries, one surgery to remove 80% of her liver, a follow up to fix a clogged bile duct and insert a g tube). I am a single parent and there was nobody else to go with her in the hospital. Eventually, I was laid off from Amazon in January 2023, and we lost our health insurance.

Avalon’s father, Jon Alder, lives in Newport Beach, California and has a successful career as captain of a yacht called the Pedazo Fino. When his daughter was diagnosed with cancer, he declined to join us for her treatment in Boston, and he has neither seen nor spoken to her since 2020. His subpoenaed bank records show he makes an average of $15,000 to $20,000 monthly. His court ordered child support is over $2800 per month. He has not paid in full even once and is currently over $40,000 in arrears. For four years, he sent nothing, not even a Christmas or birthday present, not a single dollar. He sent his first contribution less than six months ago. He is currently sending less than half, claiming he is broke and cannot afford any more. He refuses to add her to his employer sponsored health insurance policy. She’s been denied by every insurer I’ve tried due to her health problems. Avalon and I are currently under a protective order that was issued by the court in 2020 and remains in place today. I am trying to have California enforce a court order made in Massachusetts, and despite my best efforts it does not seem possible. This is a broken system.

I have tried for over a year to find a new job in the career I’ve been successful at for 12 years. A single mother with a sick child is not hireable in corporate America. I’ve been turned down a dozen times. She is covered by Medicare in Massachusetts, but Boston is not feasible for us due to the high cost of living. In order to apply for Medicare in another state, I would need to terminate our coverage in Massachusetts first. This would leave us with a gap in coverage and no guarantee she’d be able to obtain Medicare in another state. This is also a broken system.

Avalon needs ongoing tests to monitor her kidneys. She has severe hearing loss from the chemotherapy and she needs hearing aids. She needs annual scans and tests to ensure she remains cancer free. In the near future, she will need another open heart surgery to replace a valve in her heart.

At present, we have been forced to leave the US due to a lack of health insurance and seek care for her elsewhere. We are requesting living expenses to support Avalon for the next six months until she can stabilize and I can find a new job that will offer us health insurance and a way to return home, a home that we have not seen since we left California in 2020.

Avalon is the bravest, most fearless, most optimistic little soul. She deserves a chance at life. She has fought so hard already.

Please help us get there.