Aiden's fight

First, let me introduce ourselves to you, Kellie Merrill and Shelley Walker Meloy. We are trying to raise funds for our dear friend whose 16-year-old son was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.

For those who know Aiden, you are well aware of what kind of a kid he is. He is an avid gamer, playing online with his friends, and when he is not spending time with his friends and family, he is working on his schoolwork, maintaining a very high GPA. Aiden is just beginning to experience life; he’s quiet, extremely polite, and has a wicked sense of humor.

In mid-June, Aiden started feeling sick. During the summer, he and his friends were regularly at the swimming pool or park, but as he started to feel sicker, he stopped those activities for the option of sleeping as he had no energy. His mother, Ari, took him to several doctors, and none of them could find a reason for the stomach aches and tiredness. Aiden’s condition worsened as the summer ended and school started back up. Finally, in September, he experienced a high fever, a nosebleed that was difficult to stop, and he began vomiting; he couldn’t hold anything down. His lymph nodes began to swell in his neck and head, causing extreme pain.

At that point, Aiden’s mom, Ari, knew this was more than a stomach bug. She immediately took him to the ER, where they ran various lab tests, and he was found to have low white and red blood cell counts. Aiden was transferred to UMC Children's Hospital in El Paso that night, September 22nd. After extensive testing, it led to the diagnosis of T-ALL Leukemia. Unfortunately, he was so weak and his liver as well as his lungs had been compromised, he was immediately placed in ICU. The first week was spent trying to stabilize his condition before any type of cancer treatment could begin. Once Aiden was stabilized, the doctors performed a spinal tap to assess the disease and provide a treatment plan.

To this date, Aiden remains in UMC Children’s Hospital for treatment. He has been moved from ICU to the cancer floor, and he has begun an aggressive chemotherapy treatment. Aiden’s mother, Ari, has only left his side briefly to care for personal matters back in Las Cruces.

Aiden and Ari need our help in this fight. She is unable to go to work and took a leave of absence from her job while caring for her son, who needs her with him during his chemotherapy and side effects.This fund will directly assist Aiden and his family with food, bills, transportation, and home care as they navigate this incredibly tough period of time. Every little bit will help Aiden and his family keep all of their focus on beating this disease and getting Aiden back to enjoying his teenage years.