We are asking for support and lots of prayers for baby Mekhai and his parents during this very uncertain time. He was born on February 18th at 12:41pm by emergency c-section after the doctor found that blood flow from him to the placenta wasn’t normal.

When he was born he wasn’t breathing, so there were concerns about his lungs but they did tests and found the biggest issue was with his heart. Windsor hospital did not have the medical resources to handle his condition so he was rushed to London Children’s Hospital on the night of February 18th, where he was diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus, which is a rare type of life-threatening heart disease in which a single blood vessel (truncus arteriosus) comes out of the right and left ventricles, instead of the normal 2 vessels (pulmonary artery and aorta).  He was then transferred to Toronto Sick Kids Hospital where the Pediatric Cardiac Team has taken over his care. He will need to have heart surgery in the next few days, and he will likely be in Toronto Sick Kids Hospital for a minimum of 3-4 months, if not more.

This has been extremely shocking and difficult for the family and has turned their world upside down in one day. Claudia had previously been on a leave from work and returned for a few short weeks on a part-time basis before baby was born. She will be applying for an extended maternity leave benefit to be able to stay with baby as long as possible (as his care will be extensive) and will make approximately 33% of her previous wages, once the wait period is over. Justin works full time but had to take an emergency unpaid leave due to these unfortunate circumstances, and although he will probably qualify for EI benefits, there will be also be a wait period and they are less than 55% of his wage. They also have 3 older children: Aaleyah who is 3, Elijah who is 8, and Amari who is almost 11 and is also on the Autism Spectrum and needs special care and attention at home.

Justin and Claudia have applied to stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Toronto, but there is a lengthy wait period before they can will be able to stay there. They will be going to Toronto to stay in hotels and travelling back and forth until then. The family will have many added expenses while in Toronto, on top of their regular rent and bills at home and ensuring care for the older children. This is why we are seeking your assistance to help them get through this difficult time so they have less to worry about while they focus on their baby’s surgery and recovery, as well as Claudia’s recovery from the C-section. We are hoping to collect enough to cover the first few months of expenses, as he is looking at at least 4-6 months in Toronto, and pray that they are able to  resume some level of normalcy after that point.

Anything helps, and we are forever thankful to anyone who finds it in their hearts to contribute financially, share this fundraiser, or offer prayers and positive thoughts for the baby and the family.  This is the beginning of a very scary journey for all of them and we are hoping to do our best to help them get through it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and offer your support in any way you can.