Hello Family and Friends,

We are the Patrice family, currently residing in Southern California. As a close-knit family of five—with children born just months apart—life has always been full, lively, and beautifully busy. Our home has always been filled with laughter, movement, and love.

But in 2020, everything changed.

Shortly after our youngest son, Ean, was born, we received the diagnosis that would reshape our lives: sickle cell disease.

Since then, Ean’s life has been marked by challenges no child should have to endure. We have watched our son battle extreme fatigue that keeps him from simply being a carefree child. We’ve rushed to the hospital in moments when he struggled to breathe. We’ve held him through severe pain crises that no words can truly describe. We’ve navigated malnutrition, tissue damage, and a constant cycle of infections that have required us to live in prolonged isolation—long after the world moved on from COVID.

Behind the scenes, our reality has been a quiet storm.

Our days and nights have been filled with countless medical appointments, hospitalizations, procedures, and tests—all in pursuit of giving Ean a chance at a fuller, healthier life. Along the way, we have carried the emotional weight of uncertainty, the strain of lost income and depleted savings, the pressure of mounting medical expenses, and the loneliness that often comes with walking this journey.

There were moments when hope felt distant.

After moving through multiple hospital systems, seeking second opinions, and being told our son might only have a life expectancy of around 20 years, we were finally led to a medical team that gave us something we had been praying for—hope.

On May 18, 2026, our family will step into the most critical chapter of this journey. Ean's medical team will prepare him to undergo a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT)—commonly known as a bone marrow transplant—at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This procedure offers the possibility of not just managing his condition, but potentially changing the course of his life.

And in the midst of all of this, there is a beautiful and humbling gift:

Ean’s older sister, Ava, is a perfect match.

Before he was even born, we had no idea that she would one day be the one to help save his life. An identical sibling donor is rare—occurring in only about 10% of cases—and we do not take this miracle lightly. At the same time, it is not lost on us that this journey also asks something significant of her, as a young child stepping into a role far beyond her years.

While we are deeply grateful, the road ahead is not easy.

This transplant will require us to relocate for over three months, stepping away from our home, routines, and sources of stability. It will stretch us physically, emotionally, and financially in ways we cannot fully prepare for. We are making difficult decisions daily—balancing care, presence, and provision for our entire family.

We know we are not alone in facing hardship. So many families are quietly carrying their own heavy burdens. Because of that, we share our story with humility.

But we also share it with hope.

If you feel moved and can support our family—whether through prayer, sharing our story, or financial giving—we would be deeply grateful. Every contribution, every message, every act of kindness reminds us that we are not walking this road alone.

Thank you for standing with us in this season.

God bless you,

The Patrice Family