My 6-year-old nephew Chase is the most vibrant little boy. He loves singing to Michael Jackson, watching trains, and eating french fries. He is Lightning McQueen’s biggest fan and calls nightmares “bad imagines”. And right now, we’re going through the worst “bad imagine” a family can experience. Last week, Chase was a healthy energetic boy swimming in his grandparent’s pool, when he had a sudden medical emergency. An undiagnosed arteriovenous malformation (AVM) ruptured in his brain, resulting in an emergency helicopter medivac to Robert Wood Johnson pediatric hospital. While in the PICU, he had surgery to alleviate the swelling in his brain, an embolization to control active bleeding, and open microvascular surgery to remove part of his skull, resect the AVM, and clear the bleed. He’s been intubated for a week and will slowly make his way through recovery (and hopefully out of the ICU).

While we knew Chase was special, he’s proven it every day of this process and truly is one in a million. We’ve learned that he has a rare condition and doctors have found 7 more AVM in his brain and 2 in his lungs — all of which pose a risk of rupture if left untreated. When Chase wakes up, he’ll have months of 24/7 recovery in the hospital.

In a stroke of unbelievable timing, this entire situation is compounded by the fact that my brother and sister-in-law are 39 weeks pregnant. They’ll be simultaneously dealing with a newborn son, while their 6-year-old son recovers from brain surgery.

I’ve set up this gofundme to help alleviate the financial burdens that will come throughout this next year: medical bills, physical therapy, and supplemental income while they’re both out of work. As two public school teachers in East Brunswick, NJ, they’ll have to navigate newborn care and hospital visits, while on reduced incomes.

Please consider donating to them as our family adjusts to this new normal. Any amount helps and will go directly to the family to aid in Chase’s recovery. Thank you for your generosity!