Let's support Vivian and her family
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Hi all,
I am writing to reach out for support for our dear friend, Vivian. As you know, her son Braden has been very ill for the past several months and the two of them have spent nearly 2 months (on and off) in the hospital trying to find treatment for him.
Braden has a very difficult to treat bone and blood infection that his infectious disease doctors have described as, "the most complicated case they have ever seen."
To date: Braden has endured four major surgeries and two invasive procedures to drain the abscess. He recently had a PICC line implanted to deliver his antibiotics more effectively. Braden has been unable to go back to school. He will not be able to put weight on his right foot for several more months.
The most recent update indicates that part of his femoral head is dead. The fracture he suffered about a month ago as a result of the deteriorating bone has not healed. Braden will have to deal with having an infection until his bone dies for good and crumbles, at which point he will need more surgeries. Because Braden is so young and still growing, he will not be eligible for hip replacement surgery for 4-6 years. In the meantime, Braden is facing several surgeries per year to “clean out” the infected areas.
Braden will turn 11 on December 8th. He has shown unbelievable courage throughout this whole ordeal. Even when uncomfortable and in pain, he will make jokes and bring joy to his family. Luckily, through the power of Fortnite he is able to virtually “hang” and speak with his friends.
Vivian is the best mom I know. She has selflessly and bravely endured setback after setback in this process and has lost over $30,000 in income while taking time off of work so that Braden is never alone in the hospital. She continues to have a positive attitude and constantly expresses gratitude for whatever good news she can find buried in the constant stream of bad news they have received.
Vivian is lucky to have a supportive team on her side, who have also been greatly affected by Braden's illness. Braden’s brother, Gavin, has really stepped up to help the family and relieve stress from Vivian. Gavin gets himself to and from school every day, and has spent countless hours in the hospital (missing things like Halloween) visiting his brother, all done with a smile on his face. Even with all the disruption, Gavin received straight A’s and made the soccer All-Star soccer team. Vivian's sweet fiancee, Rob, has also been an incredible support. Rob now commutes 3-4 hours/day so that he can spend the mornings/evenings with Gavin in order to help him maintain as much order in his life as possible. He has also missed a significant amount of time at work in order to be with the family. I know the past few months have weighed heavily on them all.
Sadly, there is no end in sight (from both a medical and financial perspective). I would love for Vivian's close family and friends to be able to help alleviate some of the financial stress her family is currently facing. Vivian would never ask for help herself, but I know she’d likely really appreciate the support.
Thank you so much for your help. While I know that Vivian would not want this to be shared on a public forum (ie. Facebook), please feel free to pass it on to anyone you think would like to help.
With love,
Stacey
I am writing to reach out for support for our dear friend, Vivian. As you know, her son Braden has been very ill for the past several months and the two of them have spent nearly 2 months (on and off) in the hospital trying to find treatment for him.
Braden has a very difficult to treat bone and blood infection that his infectious disease doctors have described as, "the most complicated case they have ever seen."
To date: Braden has endured four major surgeries and two invasive procedures to drain the abscess. He recently had a PICC line implanted to deliver his antibiotics more effectively. Braden has been unable to go back to school. He will not be able to put weight on his right foot for several more months.
The most recent update indicates that part of his femoral head is dead. The fracture he suffered about a month ago as a result of the deteriorating bone has not healed. Braden will have to deal with having an infection until his bone dies for good and crumbles, at which point he will need more surgeries. Because Braden is so young and still growing, he will not be eligible for hip replacement surgery for 4-6 years. In the meantime, Braden is facing several surgeries per year to “clean out” the infected areas.
Braden will turn 11 on December 8th. He has shown unbelievable courage throughout this whole ordeal. Even when uncomfortable and in pain, he will make jokes and bring joy to his family. Luckily, through the power of Fortnite he is able to virtually “hang” and speak with his friends.
Vivian is the best mom I know. She has selflessly and bravely endured setback after setback in this process and has lost over $30,000 in income while taking time off of work so that Braden is never alone in the hospital. She continues to have a positive attitude and constantly expresses gratitude for whatever good news she can find buried in the constant stream of bad news they have received.
Vivian is lucky to have a supportive team on her side, who have also been greatly affected by Braden's illness. Braden’s brother, Gavin, has really stepped up to help the family and relieve stress from Vivian. Gavin gets himself to and from school every day, and has spent countless hours in the hospital (missing things like Halloween) visiting his brother, all done with a smile on his face. Even with all the disruption, Gavin received straight A’s and made the soccer All-Star soccer team. Vivian's sweet fiancee, Rob, has also been an incredible support. Rob now commutes 3-4 hours/day so that he can spend the mornings/evenings with Gavin in order to help him maintain as much order in his life as possible. He has also missed a significant amount of time at work in order to be with the family. I know the past few months have weighed heavily on them all.
Sadly, there is no end in sight (from both a medical and financial perspective). I would love for Vivian's close family and friends to be able to help alleviate some of the financial stress her family is currently facing. Vivian would never ask for help herself, but I know she’d likely really appreciate the support.
Thank you so much for your help. While I know that Vivian would not want this to be shared on a public forum (ie. Facebook), please feel free to pass it on to anyone you think would like to help.
With love,
Stacey
Organizer and beneficiary
Stacey Lopaz
Organizer
La Mesa, CA
Vivian Barajas
Beneficiary