Loss of Income for Junior Ross' Family

My name is Melissa Chapman, my goddaughter's family includes Brandon Ross Jr, affectionately referred to as Junior by all.

Junior has been sick for almost 4 weeks, of what we all thought was a rotten bout of a cold and then strep throat. Then almost two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, it became clear that Junior was very, very sick. They rushed him to the hospital in the middle of the night and soon found out he was in kidney failure.

It has been a tough ride, at one point we thought he was going to need a kidney, then dialysis. At this point, it looks like he won’t need dialysis for a year or two, but he has a bunch of scaring on his kidneys. They are still working through his kidney issues and monitoring his levels, to determine when they started and what they are so that we will have a confirmed course of treatment. In addition to the kidney issues his hemoglobin has been too low and is causing issues within his body. He has had two transfusions and they are monitoring him closely.

Junior is a very special boy, he is 16 years old, loves Pokemon, and has autism. He is much younger than his actual age, has challenges communicating, is nervous around new people and change, and doesn’t really like being touched. Because of this, being in the hospital, is extra challenging for Junior.

Dad has stayed with Junior day and night since he arrived in the hospital to monitor his care, but to also keep him calm and help him deal with the various needle sticks, a catheter, testing, and all the rest that comes with a hospital stay. Which means Dad has not been working, he drives truck and doesn’t get paid when he doesn’t work.

Junior has two little siblings, so Mom has been holding down the fort at home and also has not able to go to work at her part-time job.

This GoFundMe is to help offset the lost work loss of income. Over the last almost two weeks, but also until Junior comes home and is able to go back to school, also to cover the time off work for the many additional follow-up doctor appointments he will have. Junior currently has 3 specialists and these issues have added a nephrologist and a hematologist to the list.

The family is not crazy about asking for help, but like many families things are tight and with inflation and the holidays, the loss of income is very impactful. I would like to help remove one of the sources of stress for Junior’s family. We appreciate any support you can offer to Junior and his family!