Join Us in Easing Elkin's Medical Burden

We live on the paradise coast, and yet life has been anything but paradise the last 3 years. Our family doesn't like to be in the spotlight when it comes to personal matters, however it has come time to share our story and ask for the help that so many have offered. We always try to figure things out on our own without relying on others, but that's not working out so well right now! Elkin has always been there for his friends, family, and community- selflessly giving his time and talent, and lending a hand whenever needed. He would never say no or turn down the chance to do a favor without expecting anything in return. He was a volunteer fireman for many years and was even awarded top responder! He dedicates himself to whatever he gets involved in and would never hesitate to give whatever he could out of his own pocket. He learned this commendable generosity from his father and that is what many know him for. Many are aware of what we've been going through the last few years, many do not, and some may have an idea, so I want to fill you in on what we've been handling behind smiles, cool composures, and closed doors.

As many know, Elkin had his first scary hospital experience with pancreatitis in November 2017 when I thought my 10 year old was going to lose her dad, then it happened again in January 2020 which was worse than the first time sending him home on IV antibiotics and IV nutrition leading me to become a 24/7 nurse, and then in the summer of 2021 when we moved to FL he felt it coming on again but managed to get it under control by not eating for a week. Little did we realize that since we moved and saw new doctors, he wasn't taking the correct medication to keep his triglycerides under control, and he became diabetic from his pancreas not functioning properly. We were told that each pancreatitis episode would be worse than the last, and there would be lasting effects that would create chronic issues. They weren't kidding. In January 2022 he had the worst pancreatic attack yet, and the day after going to the hospital, the medical staff sat me down and asked me to give permission to intubate him in order for him to live. Elkin's abdomen was so severely inflamed and blown up that it didn't look real. His breathing was shallow, and almost sounded like he was panting, and he was not getting enough oxygen to his organs. There I was all alone in the waiting room wondering if I made the right decision, wondering if this was going to be the time my 14 year old was going to lose her dad and how was I going to tell her, and if I was going to see him wake up again. He was quarantined in ICU and I could only see him through a window from the hall, and that's where I sat each day. The day after he was intubated, I called our church and requested the priest come and do the anointing of the sick. I thought he was going to die. I prayed with Fr. Mark, and he went in to read him his last rites.

The doctors then figured out his blood was so toxic from his digestive system not working properly that he needed to have a procedure called plasmapheresis. All of his blood was going to be cycled in and out of his body through a machine to "clean it", but he needed to be transferred to another hospital that had the machine. Transporting a patient who was intubated and had aspirated fluids in his lungs, on top of everything else was not an easy decision the doctors had to make. Once he was transported to another ICU and scheduled for the procedure, I watched again from the hall and saw what was removed from his blood. I never thought your blood could look like pea soup. It was unreal how bad it was. After 14 days of being intubated, and not being able to breathe on his own yet, the next difficult decision was made to allow them to do a tracheostomy. They placed the breathing tube in his neck and I could finally see his full face again. Elkin was heavily sedated so he wouldn't wake up to all of the tubes and alarms and the never ending poking and prodding. He was in the hospital for 35 days and I was there every day because he couldn't talk or advocate for himself, and if I missed the doctor coming in, it was not easy to track them down again to get answers or updates. He went home on IV antibiotics and a feeding tube. A few months later he would need vocal cord surgery to remove polyps that formed from the tubes down his throat, and for the first time in months we finally heard his normal voice again.

Fast forward a year later, Thanksgiving 2023, he knew something wasn't right again. I took him to the hospital and they sent him home saying nothing was wrong. A few days later he was back in the hospital for a few weeks, had stents placed in his organs to help drain fluid and bile, and lots more. He had 5 hernias in his abdomen from his feeding tube surgery, he spent the year in and out of the hospital with complications and setbacks, and finally had hernia repair surgery in August of 2024 which was a major repair. He has been out of work since December 2023, and since he couldn't return to his previous responsibilities he was separated from his job in November 2024. He has been seeing palliative care doctors for pain management and has to take pain medicine to deal with the chronic pain from inflammation. He has necrotizing pancreatitis and a pseudocyst connected to the pancreas that cannot be safely removed. The inflammation caused the blood vessels to spread out and surgery would be life threatening. His team of doctors suggested he have the Whipple surgery which removes and rearranges organs, but the way of life is even worse afterwards, with a shorter life expectancy.

Through this all, I lost my full time job and our family lost the county benefits we had that covered all of Elkin's medical expenses. Paying out of pocket has made things really rough. Elkin is not able to work because he cannot drive any longer being on the medication he takes, he has chronic abdominal pain, and has no energy. He's lost a lot of weight and is not himself anymore. I tried my hand at another restaurant, and it ended up being in a very seasonal location that was not sustainable without additional income coming in, and all of my side work just isn't enough. It was a tough year for Elkin between losing his dad so quickly to lung cancer, and feeling defeated by his own illness.

As a family it has been a draining and difficult experience, both mentally and physically. We are grateful we have had so many amazing things going on with Sophia that has kept us busy, but unfortunately the distractions only last so long, and reality sets in. For the last month Elkin has not felt good at all. He has been pale, weak, sweating day and night, fevers on and off, and has lost more weight due to no appetite. He went in for a procedure to have stents replaced and thought that would help but it didn't. He really needed to go to the hospital, but first there was prom, then Sophia's softball team was playing in districts, (became District Champs for the first time in 15 years!), then there were academic awards, regionals, athletic awards, the Baccalaureate mass, and then Sophia's high school graduation! With family here visiting he said he'd wait till all of the special events were done then he'd go to the hospital. He didn't want to miss anything because every time he goes in the hospital it ends up being a while.

So here we are. I'm writing from his hospital room while he's out having an MRI of his liver. I took him to the ER yesterday after much deliberation, and he was admitted because his white blood cell count was high and he was showing signs of infection. He has abscesses in his liver and we need to see what the next plan of action is and what's causing it. He's being pumped full of strong antibiotics and pain meds, and hopefully we'll know more soon.

In the meantime, we have a ton of household and medical bills piling up, and it's getting pretty scary. I've applied to thousands of jobs over the past year, had tons of interviews, gotten super close to starting dream jobs, only for it to not work out in the end. It has been daunting and soul-crushing, and really makes you question your worth. Sophia's going off to college in August and there are still some tuition expenses that will need to be addressed. I even tried to sell Elkin's car a few weeks ago since it hasn't been driven in forever, and when the guy came to look at it and opened the convertible top the back window shattered. So there's that... What luck?! If you could think of something that could go wrong it's probably already happened because it's just how it's been going! We applied for social security disability for Elkin, but he was denied the first go around, so we're waiting on the appeal to be reviewed. This has been a long process that began in March 2024. We're trying to remain positive, have extreme patience, and put our faith in God's timing, but I have to say time is not our friend right now and the phone keeps ringing off the hook with collections I cannot satisfy and there's no easy way to go around it.

So many have offered to help throughout this ordeal and we've really tried to handle it on our own, but it's come to a point where we're drowning and don't have a life float in sight. Anything and everything will help and we will be eternally grateful. Please keep Elkin in your prayers. We are so grateful for your help and support.

(The 5 individual photos shared are from his 2022 hospital stay, which altered his life the last 3 years. The photos in the collage are from May 2025.)