Aiden's Recovery

***UPDATE 3: Justin and Sara have asked me to close this fundraiser for now since their current financial needs have been provided for. They are very, very grateful for the help your donations has given them. I will reopen the fundraiser if it is ever needed in the future. Thank you for blessing my family with your overwhelming generosity. Please continue to keep Aiden in your prayers!

***UPDATE 2: I am in awe of the generosity of so many supporters from various social connections. Thank you so very much! I really don’t have the words to express our gratitude, but please know that your donations provide immense help during such a difficult season for our family. Aiden is still stable, but he has had some increased vomiting and discomfort because of rising brain fluid levels. Because of this, the internal shunt seems to be inevitable unless the Lord plans otherwise (which we are praying for!). Aiden remains quite sleepy, but each day he gets closer to his transfer to the rehabilitation hospital. We continue to wait on the Lord as He little by little reveals His perfect plan for young Aiden. We covet your prayers for patience and endurance for Justin, Sara, Brianna, and Aiden.

***UPDATE: So many have given to this fundraiser, and the support has been an AMAZING blessing and encouragement! I am so very grateful that your generosity will help keep Justin and Sara from worrying about how they will pay their bills as they care for Aiden. This is going to be a very long journey, so please continue to donate even beyond the goal if you are able. (Justin and Sara gave a low estimate of their financial needs when we set the goal.)

Since so many of you are sharing this fundraiser outside of Facebook, I thought I should give more information for those who haven't been able to read Justin and Sara's Facebook updates. Aiden remains in the ICU and currently has an external shunt that is helping clear the extra fluid from his brain. (The doctors may place an internal brain shunt soon if Aiden's body continues to struggle with clearing this fluid. However, in the last day or two, there has been an improvement. Please pray that this improvement will continue and the internal shunt will not be needed.) Aiden also remains quite sleepy most of the time, but he is able to converse in a way that gives us confidence that he is processing much of what is being said to him. Unfortunately, his pupils have remained fully dilated and unresponsive to light, and his eyes have been almost always closed since his surgery last week. We are hoping and praying this will improve once the brain swelling subsides, but the doctors say only time will tell. Despite his sleepiness, Aiden is quite busy with daily therapies and testing. We have seen more and more of his delightful personality emerge each day. The road ahead is overwhelming and uncertain, but we are so grateful for your love and support. We are also grateful to the Lord for the gift of Aiden's life. Please pray that Justin, Sara, Brianna, and Aiden will continually experience the sustaining peace and tender comfort of Christ during this heart-wrenching trial. ****

Justin and Sara have reluctantly agreed to allow me (Justin's sister) to open this fundraiser on their behalf. Their sweet son Aiden unexpectedly suffered from a brain hemorrhage after a hidden congenital arteriovenous malformation (AVM) ruptured earlier this month. This life-threatening ailment has thrown Justin, Sara, Aiden's sister Brianna and their extended family into a whirlwind of fear and prayer, angst and hope, and grief and gratitude as we all wait to see what the Lord has planned for our young Aiden's future. Aiden is currently in the PICU with a long-lasting recovery ahead of him. Because Aiden is expected to be in the hospital for several more weeks and then in a rehab hospital for many more weeks, possibly months, after that, Sara has taken a leave of absence from work to be with Aiden during his lengthy hospital stays.

In order to relieve some of their stress, I am hoping to channel the overwhelming love and support shown to them by raising money to replace the loss of income that has already happened and will continue for months. Because there are so many unknowns, Justin and Sara cannot predict precisely how much financial support they will need. We have chosen a goal amount that best fits their current understanding of Aiden's route to recovery. However, since this journey could require more missed work or expenses than they anticipate, I will not close the fundraiser even if the current goal is reached. Any extra money raised that does not go towards replacing income and paying for any expenses associated with helping Aiden thrive physically will be saved as a college fund for Aiden.

Thank you so much for the love and prayers given to our family over the past agonizing week. Our beloved Aiden is so very dear to us, and we hope this fundraiser will support Justin and Sara in a way that allows them to focus on his recovery without having to worry about any financial burdens. Please pray for Aiden as we move forward one breath at a time.