Dear Family and Friends,
My best friend, Violetta Velichko, her husband Troy Staley, and their 4 year-old sweet little boy Leo Staley have embarked on a very frightening and life altering journey.
Over the past few months Leo has been experiencing symptoms of speech delays, imbalance, dizziness, headaches, vomiting and fatigue leading to significant weight loss.
On November 20th, due to his worsening condition Leo was brought in to the Children’s National Emergency Department in Washington, DC. After a brief assessment physicians knew there was a very serious underlying condition. Leo had a Ct Scan and an MRI of the brain and spine confirming the doctors' suspicion. Leo's parents received the news that he had a large mass in the back of his brain and needed to be admitted to ICU. To make matters worse, he developed a life-threatening condition called hydrocephalus due to a blockage of the natural flow of brain fluid. He was immediately prepped for a right ventricular drain to reduce the immense amount of fluid in his brain. Leo remained in ICU until his surgery on November 27th. With an amazing team of surgeons, physicians and nurses Leo had a large tumor removed from the brainstem and is now in the early stages of recovery.
The outcome of the surgery and the impact it will have on Leo’s speech, coordination and balance is currently unclear. One thing for certain is that this will be a long road to recovery mentally, physically and financially for this family. Like most of us, their health insurance will cover some of the expenses, but not nearly enough.
Please help us raise money for this unexpected journey and remove some of the financial burden from their shoulders so they can focus on Leo's health and wellbeing.
Anything you are willing to donate will be graciously accepted. No amount is too small. We fully understand that the current economic climate has affected many, so if you are not in a position to donate, all we ask is you forward this message to others or repost it. We will continue to update everyone through this page and please know that Leo is showing such bravery and strength and we hope that he will be able to get on this feet again soon.
On behalf of Leo, his family and us, we thank you for all your support, love, prayers and encouragement.
Nitsa & Jean-Marc Voyadzis
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure In spite of overwhelming obstacles -Christopher Reeves
My best friend, Violetta Velichko, her husband Troy Staley, and their 4 year-old sweet little boy Leo Staley have embarked on a very frightening and life altering journey.
Over the past few months Leo has been experiencing symptoms of speech delays, imbalance, dizziness, headaches, vomiting and fatigue leading to significant weight loss.
On November 20th, due to his worsening condition Leo was brought in to the Children’s National Emergency Department in Washington, DC. After a brief assessment physicians knew there was a very serious underlying condition. Leo had a Ct Scan and an MRI of the brain and spine confirming the doctors' suspicion. Leo's parents received the news that he had a large mass in the back of his brain and needed to be admitted to ICU. To make matters worse, he developed a life-threatening condition called hydrocephalus due to a blockage of the natural flow of brain fluid. He was immediately prepped for a right ventricular drain to reduce the immense amount of fluid in his brain. Leo remained in ICU until his surgery on November 27th. With an amazing team of surgeons, physicians and nurses Leo had a large tumor removed from the brainstem and is now in the early stages of recovery.
The outcome of the surgery and the impact it will have on Leo’s speech, coordination and balance is currently unclear. One thing for certain is that this will be a long road to recovery mentally, physically and financially for this family. Like most of us, their health insurance will cover some of the expenses, but not nearly enough.
Please help us raise money for this unexpected journey and remove some of the financial burden from their shoulders so they can focus on Leo's health and wellbeing.
Anything you are willing to donate will be graciously accepted. No amount is too small. We fully understand that the current economic climate has affected many, so if you are not in a position to donate, all we ask is you forward this message to others or repost it. We will continue to update everyone through this page and please know that Leo is showing such bravery and strength and we hope that he will be able to get on this feet again soon.
On behalf of Leo, his family and us, we thank you for all your support, love, prayers and encouragement.
Nitsa & Jean-Marc Voyadzis
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure In spite of overwhelming obstacles -Christopher Reeves
Organizer and beneficiary
Violetta Velichko
Beneficiary