Help 5-Year-Old Charlie Fight a Rare Illness

Hi everyone,

We’re reaching out on behalf of our sweet nephew, Charlie Black, a brave 5-year-old who has been hospitalized since June 12th battling a mysterious and terrifying illness. What started as a possible case of viral meningitis turned into a rollercoaster of uncertainty, with doctors cycling through multiple possibilities—from encephalitis to other neurological conditions—before finally arriving at a diagnosis: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM).

This rare inflammatory condition affects the brain and spinal cord, often following a viral infection. It’s been an incredibly difficult road: multiple spinal taps, MRIs, endless blood work, and costly diagnostic testing have been required just to figure out what was wrong. Charlie has been in and out of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and though his care team is now on the right path, he still has a long journey ahead of him.

Charlie is the youngest of four kids—three boys and one girl—raised by Andy and my sister Tracy Black, loving, dedicated parents who are doing everything they can to keep their family afloat. Andy works tirelessly in construction to provide for his family, but due to Charlie’s hospitalization, he’s had to step away from work to be at his son’s side. Unfortunately, the bills don’t stop, and the mounting medical expenses combined with the loss of income have put tremendous financial strain on this incredible family.

Andy and Tracy are the kind of people who would give the shirts off their backs to help others—and they would never ask for help themselves. So we're asking for them.

If you can spare anything at all, please consider donating. Your support will help cover:

No donation is too small. Even just sharing this page with your community means the world.

Let’s come together and show the Black family they’re not alone in this fight. Charlie is a fighter—and with your help, he won’t have to fight this battle alone.

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With love and gratitude,

Friends & Family of the Black Family