Hi everyone,

I’m writing this on behalf of my sister and her son who goes by “Pookie”

Pookie has had special needs since birth and has faced several medical challenges throughout his life. He is nonverbal, has developmental delays, and is fully dependent on others for his daily care. I’ve been by her side through all of this and have been keeping up with every update since the very beginning of this hospitalization.

Our family never imagined we would be in a position like this, but right now her only focus is being there for her son as he continues fighting through this.

He was hospitalized in critical condition after choking and aspirating, which led to him being placed on a ventilator. By the grace of God and the power of prayer, he is now OFF the ventilator which has been a huge step forward. However, he is still in the process of recovering both physically and neurologically.

Right now, he is on high-flow oxygen support and receiving nutrition through a feeding tube while his body regains strength. He is slowly waking up, and although it’s hard to watch at times, it’s also a sign that his body is responding.

Medically, he is still going through a lot:

He is currently dealing with anemia (low blood counts) which means his body has less oxygen-carrying capacity. This can cause fatigue, weakness, and slow down his recovery.

His immune system is also a little suppressed right now due to everything his body has been through, including medications and illness, so doctors are closely watching him for any risk of infection.

Neurologically, his brain is still recovering:

His EEG showed abnormal brain activity, but NO seizures were recorded, which is a blessing  

There are areas of the brain that are “irritable,” meaning they could cause seizures, but they are not actively doing so his brain is currently in a slowed state, which is common after sedation and serious illness.This is why he is still sleepy, slowly waking up, and not fully alert yet

Doctors have explained that this is called encephalopathy, meaning his brain is temporarily not functioning at full speed due to everything his body has gone through (sedation, illness, ICU stay, etc.).

He is also not showing normal sleep patterns yet, which is very common in ICU patients—his brain is still trying to regulate itself again.

At this time, the main focus is helping him continue to wake up and allowing his body and brain to heal.

As his mother, my sister needs to be by his side every step of the way whether it’s advocating for him, comforting him, and making sure he gets the care he needs. At the same time, she is also caring for her two little girls, his younger sisters, who depend on her as well.

Because of this, she has had to step away from work. Unfortunately, she does not qualify for FMLA due to not being with her employer long enough. She applied for a personal leave of absence, and even if approved, it would be unpaid.

As her sister, it’s incredibly hard to watch her carry all of this on her own, which is why I wanted to step in and ask for help on her behalf.

If you are able to help in any way whether through a donation, sharing this, or continuing to pray for them, it would mean more than words can express.

We truly believe God is working in him. We’ve seen it every single day, and we have faith that he will continue to heal step by step

Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support.