Logan's Fight with Guillain-Barré Syndrome

16-year-old Logan's Walton's recovery journey is happening one step at a time. This video was taken after Logan had been admitted to three hospitals between New York and North Carolina, and spent a total of 26 days in pediatric intensive care and 6 days in regular care! Little by little, progress is being made!

Please help us spread awareness about this medical fundraiser by sharing with your friends and family on social media.

Foreword

Thank you to the folks who sent emergency funds to Logan's parents via PayPal and Venmo on Monday, a day before we started this medical fundraiser on GoFundMe. We also want to acknowledge the wonderful contributions from folks whose name(s) do not appear on this page with the GoFundMe contributors:  'Multiple Anonymous', James E. Hicks, Robin Powell, Kathy Winfree, Julia Freeman, Linda & Thomas Accuosti, Lori Webster, Jon & Bonnie Daly,  Susan & Don Walton, The Britts, Dan and Carol Trader Boone, Geof Hutchison, Bebee Dillard, Jim and Sheila Wright Family, Robert and Deborah Day, Kirsty and Brian Gilpin, Bebe Faire, Sheila Menendez, Renee & Robbie Lewis, Amanda McKay, Joe Britt, Rachel Bruce, Virginia Layton, Amber and Ronald Van Cleef, and Sharon & Curtis Dennis.  Please let us know if we left anyone off this list! THANK YOU ALL for your generosity!

Donors

You are all part of Logan's A-Team!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!

About Logan

Logan Walton is a 16-year-old very creative kid. He is a painter, writer, musician, member of the NC Knife Makers Guild, home-schooled high school student, and much more. He works part-time at his parents family-owned small business making rubber stamps for them to sell online. On 22 June, 2019, Logan was on road-trip from North Carolina to Niagara Falls with his mom, grandma and his younger brother and sister, when he felt his legs tingling while riding in the car. The next day they realized there was a serious problem. 

His mom, Rebecca texted the family back home: “We got to Niagara Falls Sunday at about 5:30 pm. Logan got out of the car and just fell. He had a hard time getting up the stairs of the cabin. Our KOA neighbors at the campsite were a retired lady, her daughter and 18 year old son who were cooking out and it happened right near them. They were so helpful. They were people we’d never met, but it was like we’d known them forever.”

Within minutes, with the help of new-found friends, Rebecca and Logan's grandmother, Jeanie, had Logan back in the car and were headed to the closest hospital. Later that evening, he was transported to yet another hospital — this time, the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo, New York.

Another text from Rebecca to family back home: “We took Logan to nearest hospital Mount Saint Mary’s Catholic. They did a slew of bloodwork and a CT scan. They gave him 2 bags of IV fluids. Then after that they walked him around the corridor and it was as if his hips were on swivels. He could not stand without aids beside him. They transferred him by ambulance at 10:30 Sunday evening to Children’s.”

Logan's dad then drove 11.5 hours straight through the night from their home in NC to be with Logan, Rebecca and the other two siblings at the hospital in Buffalo.


(Photo of Logan in ICU, holding a stress ball his sister Maggie made for him during family activity time with their other brother, Henry, on the Ronald McDonald floor of the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital)

 
While at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital, Logan's condition continued to deteriorate. They did a lumbar MRI which showed inflammation of the spinal cord. He lost even more mobility and it became difficult for him to swallow. They did a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) which confirmed GBS.  on Tuesday, 25 June, 2019, Logan was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Yet another text from Rebecca to family back home: “It is GBS. They’re moving him to ICU because they need to monitor his breathing and they can intubate quickly there. They’ll do GBS treatment in the ICU. The Physical Therapist came in to work with him but she can’t right yet because of his transfer. She said, 'I believe things work out for a reason. You are in an excellent hospital. People come all the way from Ohio to be treated here.' She said, 'You’re in this hospital because this is where he needs to be.'  Thank you for your continued prayers. The Physical Therapy is going to be rough I think. He’s already in extreme pain when his legs are moved. We’re going to do this! Our prayers are already being answered.”

Tuesday evening, while in ICU, Logan continued to deteriorate. He was intubated and is currently undergoing treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.


(Photo of Logan at 5 years of age in Nashville, Tennessee in 2008)

 
(Photo of Logan at 15 years old, hiking in Colorado with his uncle in 2018.)




Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barrè syndrome is life-threatening and fatal in approximately 1 out of 20 cases. Guillain-Barrè syndrome is an autoimmune condition in which the person’s nerves are attacked by the body’s own immune defense system. As a result of the attack, the nerves are damaged, and signals are delayed or otherwise changed, causing paralysis and muscular weakness of the limbs.

More information can be found here:

http://www.guillainbarresyndrome.org/


How Can You Help?

Logan's parents are self-employed. They earn 100% of their living making rubber stamps for crafters.

Your generous donations will relieve the financial pressure on Logan's family and will be used to cover ongoing medical costs, and loss of employment during this difficult time they are out of state and the cost of Logan's recovery which will take months if not years.

* NOTE: This fund-raiser was started by Rebecca's siblings. Rebecca & Donny Walton will directly withdraw from this GoFundMe campaign 100% of any and all monies raised.

Thank you so much for your consideration. 

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Rebecca on 3 July 2019: “A friend sent me the video for the song ‘Raise A Hallelujah’ the day Logan was admitted to Children's. It was written by a dad whose kid was in ICU. I've just now gotten the courage to listen and I love it!”