Superhero Send Off
Donation protected
Hi everyone, my name is Kayla Ray Berger. I am Elijah's Aunt. I have set up this account to help Elijah's family with funeral expenses along with supporting his family during this difficult time.
Elijah passed away January 20, 2020, he was 9 years old.
Elijah was born September 14, 2010. He had thick fiery red hair, loved to dance, and had a mega-watt smile that would light up any room that he toddled in to. He would get his brothers and sister to carry him when he wanted to go somewhere faster. Elijah was hitting the normal childhood milestones with talking, walking, and feeding himself. At about 16 months old is when his Mom and Dad started to notice that he wasn't doing some of the things he use to do. They tried some therapy with him but Elijah started to decline at such an alarming rate that the therapist spoke with his doctors to try and determine what was causing such a dramatic change. Right before his 2nd Birthday Elijah was diagnosed with a rare fatal neurological genetic disorder called Batten's Disease. We were all devastated but Elijah's Mom and Dad trusted in God to see them through every part of this journey that they were about to face.
Elijah's parents have turned to God for peace, comfort, guidance, and strength. Even though he couldn't walk, talk, and eat on his own, he would still have that mega-watt smile. He loved hearing children talk and would even chuckle when his Mom was fussing at his older brothers and sister. He loved to look at lights, and even though he lost his sight he knew who was in the room by the sound of their voice. He loved his bath time, and loved water in general. Anyone who spent time with Elijah knew they had been touched by such a special boy. You could see God's love radiating through him even when he didn't feel the best. Elijah was our little superhero because of how hard he fought to stay here on earth for as long as possible. Even when he didn't feel good or we wondered if he knew what was going on he would flash that big smile of his and that was all we needed to know that he was still with us. He was the definition of what pure joy looked like.
Doctors said it would be a miracle if Elijah celebrated his 5th birthday, well God gave us an additional 4 years with him! How awesome is our God to have him hang in there long enough for him to meet his younger brother.
With this emotional roller coaster came expenses. Elijah had some extensive medical bills that seem to keep rolling in to help him have the best quality of life he could while he was here. His parents and siblings could help carry him for a little bit but Elijah kept growing and carrying him was becoming more of a challenge. His parents had to get a special shower to accommodate his growing body but also the shower and bathroom had to be specially heated because Elijah could not regulate his body temperature. They had to make some adjustments to their vehicle to get him back and forth to doctor visits. There were special beds, chairs, and strollers that were needed just to name a few. These weren't items you could go out and buy, they had to be specially made to fit him but also to support his weight and lack of body control. One parent had to stay home for constant care while the other worked to make ends meet. Elijah was on medications and formulas that would accumulate so high they could have made an extra mortgage payment every month, not to mention supporting a family of 7 people. Times have been very difficult but worth it to see this boy have the best life he could while he was here. I have asked for donations to help with the cost of his funeral and other expenses as this has been a burden placed upon them during the passing of their son. Please consider donating and praying for our family during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has donated and prayed over this family. May God bless you in your future endeavors.
Elijah's obituary can be viewed following the link below. https://www.schoedinger.com/obituaries/Elijah-Todd/
Elijah passed away January 20, 2020, he was 9 years old.
Elijah was born September 14, 2010. He had thick fiery red hair, loved to dance, and had a mega-watt smile that would light up any room that he toddled in to. He would get his brothers and sister to carry him when he wanted to go somewhere faster. Elijah was hitting the normal childhood milestones with talking, walking, and feeding himself. At about 16 months old is when his Mom and Dad started to notice that he wasn't doing some of the things he use to do. They tried some therapy with him but Elijah started to decline at such an alarming rate that the therapist spoke with his doctors to try and determine what was causing such a dramatic change. Right before his 2nd Birthday Elijah was diagnosed with a rare fatal neurological genetic disorder called Batten's Disease. We were all devastated but Elijah's Mom and Dad trusted in God to see them through every part of this journey that they were about to face.
Elijah's parents have turned to God for peace, comfort, guidance, and strength. Even though he couldn't walk, talk, and eat on his own, he would still have that mega-watt smile. He loved hearing children talk and would even chuckle when his Mom was fussing at his older brothers and sister. He loved to look at lights, and even though he lost his sight he knew who was in the room by the sound of their voice. He loved his bath time, and loved water in general. Anyone who spent time with Elijah knew they had been touched by such a special boy. You could see God's love radiating through him even when he didn't feel the best. Elijah was our little superhero because of how hard he fought to stay here on earth for as long as possible. Even when he didn't feel good or we wondered if he knew what was going on he would flash that big smile of his and that was all we needed to know that he was still with us. He was the definition of what pure joy looked like.
Doctors said it would be a miracle if Elijah celebrated his 5th birthday, well God gave us an additional 4 years with him! How awesome is our God to have him hang in there long enough for him to meet his younger brother.
With this emotional roller coaster came expenses. Elijah had some extensive medical bills that seem to keep rolling in to help him have the best quality of life he could while he was here. His parents and siblings could help carry him for a little bit but Elijah kept growing and carrying him was becoming more of a challenge. His parents had to get a special shower to accommodate his growing body but also the shower and bathroom had to be specially heated because Elijah could not regulate his body temperature. They had to make some adjustments to their vehicle to get him back and forth to doctor visits. There were special beds, chairs, and strollers that were needed just to name a few. These weren't items you could go out and buy, they had to be specially made to fit him but also to support his weight and lack of body control. One parent had to stay home for constant care while the other worked to make ends meet. Elijah was on medications and formulas that would accumulate so high they could have made an extra mortgage payment every month, not to mention supporting a family of 7 people. Times have been very difficult but worth it to see this boy have the best life he could while he was here. I have asked for donations to help with the cost of his funeral and other expenses as this has been a burden placed upon them during the passing of their son. Please consider donating and praying for our family during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has donated and prayed over this family. May God bless you in your future endeavors.
Elijah's obituary can be viewed following the link below. https://www.schoedinger.com/obituaries/Elijah-Todd/
Organizer
Kayla Ray Berger
Organizer
Purcell, OK