Support our friends, KARI and CRUZ

I first met my buddy, Cruz, 4 years ago. Many of you have known him years longer, many know him by his proper nicknames Meatball or Old Man Larry :)  None of us expected to have to watch helplessly as our Cruzer and Kari, his mother and a dear friend to many, fight for his little life. 

This past July while attempting a routine tonsillectomy the anesthesiologist couldn't get his breathing tube down. A follow up appointment at OHSU revealed that he had been living with a rare birth defect called Congenital Tracheal Stenosis. Why he was in and out of ICU all his life, given nebulizers at home twice a day and why a small cold would send him straight to the nearest ER. This explained so much to Kari, a mother worried all his life and with an insurance which denied her coverage to find out. 

This diagnosis meant Cruzer is high risk for covid. He was urgently scheduled for a minor operation with the hopes that would be enough. Bad news after bad news and his condition becoming worse than doctors hoped at every turn- he has now been at Doernbecher Children's Hospital for 11 days. 

1 Bypass and 2 Slide Tracheoplasty procedures later, a Rib Cartilage Grafting, Tracheal Dilation procedures, bronchoscopy, a laryngoscopy and Kari has been by his side every minute of it. It is emotionally and physically depleting but she is holding strong wishing she could trade places with him. That's what mothers and best friends do.

Let's support Kari as much as she's supported us. No one shows up for their friends the way she does and no kid is cooler or braver than Cruz. He has been through more than many of us will ever see in a lifetime and this has been heartbreaking for all of us to watch . While we all feel helpless in Cruz's brutal road to recovery we can help most effectively by donating so that their rent is the last thing Kari needs to worry about. Cruz's hospital bills will be astronomical. Let's do what we can so Kari can focus on being the best and sole caretaker to Cruzer for months to come. When Cruzer gets back to his old, adorable and curmudgeonly shenanigans let's throw him a huge socially distanced and super safe party!

Thank you for your time and support. No one deserves it more than Kari and our little Larry, Cruzer Bear.

Sincerely,
Sun