It's after midnight and I cannot sleep because I can't stop thinking about what or how I can help ease the pain my family is about to go through. Recently, my brothers 8 year old son had a doctors appointment for his scoliosis. It's been a few years since his last appointment. Well today we found out that his scoliosis, which is life threatening if left untreated, has tripled in severity. We were hoping for better news. The doctor is adamant that Rion have this surgery to place rods along his spine to help relieve pressure off of his organs and make room for them to grow. Rion's scoliosis is rare in that his biggest curve goes toward his heart, compromising his life. His surgery is scheduled for December 15. This is much sooner than we were all ready for. Dr. Robison specializes in pediatric orthopedics and has seen thousands of children with scoliosis but has told us that Rion's is one of the worst cases he's seen. Rion's rib cage is also twisted, like an S, and if he does not receive this surgery, he not only may not live into adulthood but he could be paralyzed.
My heart is breaking for this little boy. Rion is a very smart, talented, strong little boy who is being very BRAVE when he talks about his condition or tells his story about his crooked little spine. My brother is the sole provider for his family and my sister in law stays home with Rion and his younger brother and takes care of the house. I am asking out of the kindness of your hearts to please help this loving family take some stress and pressure off of them while they go through this process. So that my brother can take the time off of work to be there during his surgery and his recovery after. Since this Surgery was scheduled so soon and fast my brother /family was not prepared to be able to miss work, with having a new job and Christmas just a few days after surgery.
Every single dollar helps.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. This is a life changing event for my family.
Love Rion's Aunt "Yaya" (Andrea DeVinaspre)
I will update as surgery approaches