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Help Reid Learn to Eat

Two months before his third birthday, Reid Myers (the four-year-old son of Tyson and Margaret) was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Accompanying Language Impairment, Level 3. More recently, doctors have diagnosed him with Oral-Motor Apraxia and Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.

Reid has never eaten any solid food in his entire life.

He doesn’t know how to chew, so he chokes and gags whenever he tries. He has been hospitalized four times this year alone. Every week, Reid receives occupational, speech, and physical therapy, little of which is covered by Margaret and Tyson’s medical insurance.

Reid’s food and liquid intake have decreased recently, and he’s consistently losing weight.

His mother, Margaret, feeds Reid every 2-3 hours. She’s the only one who can feed him, aside from the few therapists and teachers at his special needs school. Apart from a four-hour window when Reid is at his special needs school each morning, Margaret hasn’t been away from her son for more than two hours in his entire life.

Yesterday, Reid was evaluated by the skilled team of physicians, therapists, and nutritionists at UAB (the University of Alabama at Birmingham), and they have accepted him into their Intensive Feeding Program, the only program in the state of Alabama. Reid was placed at the top of their admissions list because of the severity of his condition.

Once a place in the program opens up, Margaret and Reid will move to Birmingham for a minimum of eight weeks, and she and Reid will be at UAB from 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM each day. Reid will have four feeding therapy sessions each day, and Margaret will have daily meetings with a nutritionist and occupational therapist.

After insurance, the cost of Reid’s intensive feeding program alone is $34,670 (not factoring in their additional housing costs and other travel expenses). Margaret and Tyson don’t qualify for state or hospital assistance, and the high costs of Reid’s continuing therapy make it difficult to absorb a $34,000 hospital bill.

Please pray for their family and share this need with others who might be able to give.

Let’s help little Reid learn to eat by helping Margaret and Tyson pay for their son’s treatment.
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Donations 

  • Allene Everett
    • $150 
    • 6 yrs
  • Matching Anonymous Donation
    • $20 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
  • Matching Anonymous Donation
    • $1,000 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $1,000 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
  • Matching Anonymous Donation
    • $300 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
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Organiser and beneficiary

Rebecca George
Organiser
Kansas City, MO
Margaret Myers
Beneficiary

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