#MasonStrong Support Mason's Journey to Recovery

CASHAPP: $chardizzle88
PAYPAL: JWelch472


Hey everyone! My 15 year old son, Mason, was taken by helicopter to University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, VA on April 22,2023. He had strep throat which turned out to be Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome with Necrotizing Fasciitis and he quickly went into Sepsis. He has been fighting for his life this whole time and been on life support and constant dialysis among other life supporting machines. He's had multiple procedures to remove fluid from around his heart and excess fluid from his body in general because his kidneys aren't working how they should be. Due to the sepsis infection, Mason's body directed his blood flow to his vital life supporting organs and completely restricted blood flow to his extremities. His hands and feet up to mid calf ended up black/purple due to lack of blood flow and the tissue ended up devitalized and has to be removed. Mason had his first amputation surgery on 06/06/2023 where doctors had to remove both hands and around 4 inches of his arms as well . Mason will also need amputation of both legs below the knee within the next few weeks. Our whole family has been displaced from our home, jobs and family during all this and are now staying in a house a mile from the hospital Mason is at which is almost 4 hours away from our own home in West Virginia.  It's me, my husband and our three other children who are currently living here in Charlottesville. (Leland our 10 year old son, Juliet our 8 year old girl, and Baby Lucy who is 8 months old). My husband had to resign from his job, which was our only income. Our kids are having a hard time adjusting and dealing with this as well. We have no idea how long we are going to be down here due to Mason needing multiple surgeries and months to years worth of rehab. Doctors have recently begun researching the best possible hospitals that specialize specifically in limb loss and children with life altering diseases. So far, there is a highly likely possibility Mason will be going by helicopter to Shriner's Hospital For Children in Boston, Massachusetts once he's stable from his recent amputations and doctors have everything finalized with the medical team at Boston. Doctors here at UVA are in constant communication with doctors in Boston so everything is ready for Mason as well as setting up every resource available for us (his family) to make the move to Boston as easy as possible.The doctors as well as us want to absolutely ensure Mason receives the best resources, healthcare, and necessary medical equipment available so he can learn to adapt to his new reality, overcome all the complications resulting from his illness, and continue to pursue and successfully achieve all his goals, hopes and dreams he has planned for his future. He's still completely sedated and had a tracheostomy last week to place a trach and be able remove him from the breathing tube he's had for the past two months. He will start to be weaned off the sedatives over the next few weeks and begin waking up to this nightmare that is his new reality. Mason has been told repeatedly what has happened and about the necessary amputation surgery over the past week and he nods his head he understands but we won't know what he actually remembers and is aware of until he is completely off sedation. Whatever amount of time it takes, we will be here with Mason every step of the way. That being said, we are struggling financially as a family to handle finances down here and also our monthly bills back home. Anything helps. Anything. We just need a little help until we know what's going to be in our future involving Mason and his health and where we will be continuing his healthcare after he's released from here at UVA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH,
Charde McMillan and family