Sinagra Family

My niece Jeanne and her husband Michael Sinagra fell in love, married, worked hard for all they have, and had a beautiful little girl who is now 3 years old.    In the beginning, Michael had some health issues on again, off again,  but life was good! Then, Michael began having even more serious problems; this time with his eyes.   At the time I am writing this plea for help, Michael is blind.  Jeanne is bringing in as much as a public school teacher can earn, and Rowyn, their young daughter, is growing up fast.

Sometimes, it isn't easy to correctly identify  what the specific diagnosis is.  Definitely, this was the case with Michael.    Finally, after so many challenges, Michael was diagnosed with Behcet's.   According to the Mayo Clinic website, the definition  is "Behcet's (beh-CHETS) disease, also called Behcet's syndrome, is a rare disorder that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout your body.

The disease can lead to numerous signs and symptoms that may seem unrelated at first. They may include mouth sores, eye inflammation, skin rashes and lesions, and genital sores. The effects of Behcet's disease vary from person to person and may clear up on their own.

 
Treatment involves medications to reduce the signs and symptoms of Behcet's disease and to prevent serious complications, such as blindness."


Currently, Michael's eyeballs are now fused to his eyelids as a result of biopsies on the conjunctive and a cryogenic freezing of the conjunctiva to rid him of MRSA colonies that destroyed his right cornea.  He is slated for his first eye surgery at Baylor at the beginning of December.  They will open one eye at a time, and he can expect 3 surgeries minimum, although he was advised it may be as many as five surgeries.  He is also receiving infusions of rutuximab prior to the surgery to help suppress his immmune system to reduce risk of secondary infections as well as to clear the persistent pathergies and skin lesions which are a trademark of the disease.  

In addition to Michael's health problems, most of you will remember that Jeanne and her family lost a beloved brother last Spring.  It was a horrific time for the entire family.  Holding her head high, Jeanne and Michael made it through such an unthinkable time together.   

Now, we need your help to keep this family moving forward.  Jeanne has to continue teaching in order to bring in money for the family.  

Here is the following email from my strong, beautiful niece:  

"It truly pains me to sit down and write this email. I hate to ask for help, but I cannot undertake all of this alone.

So here it is... we are asking for $10,000 to help pay for the following: Sitter for Michael - $400/month; Daycare for Rowyn - $400/month; Medications and wound dressings $350/month; medical copays for 3-5 surgeries at Baylor @ $200/each; travel expenses (gas/food/hotel) for these surgeries @$350/each.

The childcare and sitters would be paid for through May so that I can be assured that both will be taken care of during the day.

I am sitting at school right now knowing that Michael and Rowyn have both been awake since 6:30 (thankfully I fed them before school), and no one is with them. I cannot leave school to go to them because I have a limited amount of sick days left. I know that money does not solve problems, but I would be assured that the both of them would be taken care of when I am not home if I had the money to put her in daycare and hire a sitter for him. 

It is really hard to ask for this help, but any help will be appreciated and applied judicially to the needs listed above. "



Any prayers and assistance that you are willing to provide are much appreciated.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.