Go Fund Me. 3 words that my daughter (Hannah) and her husband (Gabe), would have never thought they would say or need. I have no such concerns, so let me say it on their behalf. The Sachs family could use our help. Their son (my first grandson), Liam was born on March 21 with an encephalocele, which means that part of his skull did not fully develop prior to birth. In Liam’s case this means a hole in the middle of his forehead, which resulted in a bubble of fluid (or “squishy” as they call it). Additionally, Liam’s skull above his eyes did not fully develop. Aside from his “squishy”, Liam is a normal, happy 6-month-old. Needless to say, we all just love this little boy.

Liam has needed a lot of medical services both before and after birth. On September 12, he endured an 11-hour surgery to remove the “squishy” and perform other facial reconstruction. It’s the first of what could be multiple surgeries for Liam. Post surgery, Liam has developed a swallowing condition which has several side effects, one of which is aspirating into the lungs. To prevent pneumonia, he now has a feeding tube through his nose into his stomach, which has greatly helped the problem. The doctors are still working on a long-term solution. His surgery was completed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which is ranked the number 1 children’s hospital in the nation. It also happens to be where Hannah works. Clearly, Liam has the best possible support.

The good news is that Liam was strong enough to go home! He is happy, comfortable, and enjoying his doggies. For Hannah and Gabe, this entire situation is a financial challenge. While Hannah has solid insurance, her “benefit-year” ends/starts on June 1. That means they have had to pay their max out of pocket twice this year; before June 1 and after June 1. The costs keep going up and this is going to be a long-term process for Liam. Compounding that financial hit, is that Hannah has now exhausted all her paid leave time. Therefore, she has not been getting paid for all the time-off she has needed to take care of Liam.

We are asking for support in three different ways. 1) Prayers. Keep them coming. This has not caught God by surprise. He is faithful, and all prayers for Liam (along with Hannah/Gabe) are much appreciated! 2) Go Fund Me. please. Please. PLEASE! Do not feel obligated for any financial support. But if you feel inclined to help with a monetary gift, every little bit helps. The minimum donation for Go Fund Me is $5. And honestly, can’t we all just cut back on Starbucks for one day? 3) Spread the Word. Will you help me spread the word about this Go Fund Me account? Let’s make this an on-line viral event. Use social media to spread the word. I believe in the generosity of the human spirit. I believe in random acts of kindness from complete strangers.

God Bless you for however you choose to support Liam. May God grant grace to Hannah/Gabe and healing to Liam. From the bottom of my heart….. a most sincere, Thank You!!