Dear friends and family and all who know my sister Sarah Cureton, her husband Chris Cureton and their son, my nephew, Caleb Cureton:

I am reaching out with a heartfelt request for assistance. My sweet 6 year old nephew, Caleb is currently facing an incredibly challenging battle with pneumonia and post-operative surgery. Two and a half weeks ago Sarah and Chris brought him to Hasbro ER for evaluation of what they thought was for a typical upper respiratory infection. Caleb did test positive for a respiratory virus, but was also found to have complete pneumonia of his left lung with bilateral pleural effusions needing chest tube placement and high levels of oxygenation. His stay was further complicated by a perforated duodenal ulcer that required emergency open abdominal surgery, and the need for Caleb to stay intubated for an entire week in order to let his body rest/heal. He is still currently in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) at Hasbro. He has an NG(nasogastric tube) that is decompressing his stomach to allow his surgical site to heal. His recent GI test showed a small leak at the surgical site, causing yet another hiccup in Caleb’s road to recovery. It will require the NG tube to stay in longer, and he will continue to remain on IV nutrition through his central line.

As many of you know, Caleb is a young, vibrant, smart, charismatic little boy with a promising future ahead of him. He just started his first year of Kindergarten in September. With Caleb being autistic, it has made this hospitalization even more challenging and stressful for him, as he battles with sensory and overstimulation issues at baseline. Despite the challenges he already faces, he has yet to give up fighting this battle and is showing us everyday how brave and strong he is. He's full of life, dreams, and a heart that's as big as the world. However, life sometimes presents us with unexpected challenges, and that's precisely what Caleb’s going through right now.

His pneumonia diagnosis was unexpected, but we all hoped that with proper medical care, he would recover and be discharged home after a few days. However, the situation took a dramatic turn for the worse with the spontaneous duodenal ulcer perforation, causing complications and bringing him dangerously close to sepsis. The path ahead is filled with uncertainty, but one thing remains clear – we are fully committed to supporting him.

It’s still unclear when Sarah and Chris will be able to return to work and it is likely that Caleb will need to stay hospitalized for at least a couple more weeks. They have already incurred substantial medical expenses, and with the uncertainty of what lies ahead, we're reaching out to our community for support. Your generous contributions will go towards covering Caleb’s medical bills, ongoing treatments and rehabilitation, and the long road to recovery that awaits him.

Thank you for your kindness, support, and love during this difficult time.