Thrift for Theo

WHY WE'RE HERE

A local Wellington family needs our help. Theo, a sweet, curious, 3-year-old, boy was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Theo was born with Down Syndrome, making an already difficult leukemia treatment, that much more difficult. Your generosity will go directly to support Theo and his mom with medical, living and unforeseen costs during this difficult time.

THRIFT FOR THEO

If you're in the Wellington area, community volunteers will be hosting a rummage sale on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at StoneBridge Church. The sale will run from 8am-2pm and all items will be just $1 (additional donations are encouraged). From 1-2pm everything will be half off and all items left after that will be donated to Arc Thrift Store or Harvest Farm.

In addition to the rummage sale, there will be a bake sale and food truck on site!

Interested in donating to the rummage sale? Donation items for the rummage sale will be accepted on Friday, May 12, 2023, from 4-7:30pm at StoneBridge Church. Please bring your gently used items for resale! What kind of items are we looking for? If you think someone else might want it, bring it!

StoneBridge Church

8251 Wellington Blvd.

Wellington, CO

To learn more about the event, follow along on Facebook.

THEO'S STORY

Theo was born 3 weeks and 4 days early. Deqa, Theo's mom, had stopped working just one day before he was born. At birth, Theo was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and, as is common, had difficulty eating by mouth. For the first several years of his life, Deqa fed Theo through a tube, which he tolerated well. Just recently, Theo underwent a swallow study which cleared him for the introduction of solid foods and he is progressing well now.

Born at the height of COVID with a compromised immune status, Deqa kept Theo relatively isolated for the first several years of his life. At 2-years-old, Theo began interacting with other children and families more often. In the fall of 2022, Theo and Deqa were diagnosed with COVID and followed recommended treatment and isolation protocols to overcome it. Thankfully, they both did.

Since that time, Theo caught the flu several times which led to a bout of pneumonia which landed him in the ICU for four days. Shortly after they returned home from the ICU, Theo's pneumonia returned, this time with a very high, persistent fever. He was transferred first from his primary care to Poudre Valley Hospital, then to Children's Hospital where they performed very detailed labwork. It was that labwork that confirmed suspicions of a leukemia diagnosis.

Without being able to narrow down the type of leukemia Theo has just yet, he is receiving treatments for all types and is considered high risk. He has received his initial treatment and will soon be readmitted to Children's Hospital for at least one month to undergo another round of treatment due to his high risk status. Doctors are expecting treatment to take at least 2 to 2 1/2 years.

WHAT THEO'S FRIENDS SAY

With such a short time on the planet so far, Theo has managed to make quite an impression on those around him and racked up an impressive list of friends!

Like a lot of kids his age, Theo loves music. In music class, he comes to life! He loves to dance along with the beat and is a natural on the drums.

A social butterfly, Theo has never met a stranger and brings joy to everyone he meets. Overflowing with empathy, he gravitates toward kind, calm souls like him and knows exactly when someone needs a hug to get through their day. His smile is worth 1,000 words!

People sometimes assume that Theo isn't capable of certain things because of his Down Syndrome diagnosis, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He joins in play just as other kids his age do and enjoys exploring and learning about the world. Above all, his favorite person in the entire world is his mom, who loves him more than life itself.