Trent Aitken and his dad

We have held out as long as we can. Do not want to ask for help but have no choice.

There is another gofundme page for Trent. It claims to be for his medical bills. To date, not one cent of help has gone towards Trents medical bills from that fund.

My son Rob became a single father when Trent was 7.

Trent was diagnosed with type one diabetes when he was 5. My son left his Navy Career to be a single dad when the court awarded him custodial parent status when Trent was 7. 

My son has faced attempts  for custody twice in the past-- and now again for the third time. 

Each time he has tried to negotiate a fair and equitable solution. Each time his offers have been declined.

Each time the demand was for full custody-- ripping Trent from his father and family-- forever.

Each time the court has found in my son's favor.

Now, after spending his 9th and 10 th grades away from his father-- Trent has come home a changed young man-- beligerant, dark, sullen, and refusing to leave his father and live 500 miles from his family on both sides.

At 16, we have been trying to get my grandson to shoulder more of his responibilty to care for his diabetes without our constant monitoring. 

We had him visit a psychologist who advised us to 'back off" and let him prove he can be responsible.

After a visit over Christmas, Trent returned on 12/29/16 without insulin and did not tell us. He went into ketoacidosis.

On that day, we were able to bring his blood sugar back to acceptable levels, and he returned to school without missing a day.

On Feb 5th, Trent again did not take his insulin and again went into Ketoacidoses. 

The result, despite my son's efforts, caused Trent to suffer brain hypoxia. Trent is now in a semi coma. 

My son is facing thousands in medical bills. 

He is also paying out (to date) $26,000 in legal fees to retain custody of his son and other legal charges. 

The mother has restricted  "our side" of Trents family from seeing him except on certain days. 

The mother has accused me of striking my grandson and I had been banned from visiting him until the investigation showed it was a false report.

Trent is my grandson. My buddy my friend. We have gone on many road trips. We have spent years together. He has spent the majority of his life in his fathers care.

His father left his Navy career to raise his son. He is an EMT and not exactly a wealthy man.

Nor am I.

And now the family is tapped out. And we ask for your help. 

Anything you can afford will be appreciated. Nothing will be used for personal expenses. 

Everything will go towards medical expenses and legal fees,including the purchase of a $2600.00 therapy tilting table for Trent. An item not covered by insurance or Medicaid but used daily when he was in Cincinnati Childrens. 

Any moneys not used will be donated to the effort to find a cure for Type One Diabetes 

(currently awaiting the results from the University of Alabama's Verapamil for Beta Cell Survival Therapy in Type 1 Diabetes)

To my friends who donated to the other gofundme page.
I sincerely appreciate your generosity and apologize for being misled as to it's purpose. 

Thank you!

Grampa

(Bob Aitken)