4-month-old Shilo was recently diagnosed with leukemia, and in an instant, everything changed for Rachael, Blake, and their family.
Shilo is currently at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he has begun an aggressive and ongoing treatment plan. The road ahead will include an extended inpatient stay to start, followed by months of intensive treatment and a longer-term care journey that is expected to span over the next 2+ years.
My name is Maggie, and I am a close friend of Rachael and Blake. Our families are incredibly close, and I am organizing this fundraiser on their behalf, in collaboration with their family and our friend Mikayla, with their full support, so they can focus entirely on caring for Shilo and their family during this time.
One of the most immediate and pressing needs right now is to permanently relocate their family closer to the hospital.
They currently live over an hour and a half away, and with the intensity of Shilo’s treatment, frequent hospital visits, and the possibility of urgent situations, that distance is simply not sustainable. Being within close proximity to the hospital is critical for both Shilo’s care and Rachael and Blake’s ability to remain present for her other two young children, Charli (4) and Beau (2).
Rachael and Blake are incredibly hands-on, devoted parents who have always been their children's sole caregivers. This diagnosis has completely upended their day-to-day life, forcing them into an impossible position of being split between hospital and home. Our goal is to help keep their family as together as possible during this time.
The largest and most urgent goal is helping them transition into a long-term living situation closer to the hospital so they can create some level of stability in the midst of so much uncertainty.
This transition comes with significant and unexpected costs — including higher rent in the area, moving and packing expenses, setting up a second household, transportation, childcare support, and the loss or reduction of income as Blake takes necessary time from work to support his family.
We’ve set an initial goal of $60,000 to help cover their immediate moving expenses and the expected gap in cost of living over the next several months, and to get them relocated closer to the hospital as soon as possible. It is a starting point, as we know their needs will continue to evolve over time — but it allows us to take the first big step in getting their family back under one roof and closer to Shilo.
Funds raised will go directly toward:
Securing and maintaining housing close to the hospital for the next 2 years
Moving-related expenses
Daily living costs during this period
Childcare and support for Charli and Beau
Transportation and ongoing logistical needs
Above all, this support allows Rachael and Blake to focus on what matters most right now — being present for Shilo and for their family.
If you are able to give, no amount is too small. And if you’re not in a position to donate, sharing this page means just as much.
Rachael’s father (Patrick Kevin) is managing the funds on behalf of the family and will ensure they are used directly for these essential expenses and to support them throughout this period.
Thank you for showing up for this family and surrounding them with love during a time that no family ever expects to face.
