Supporting the Argent Family

Story

This GoFundMe Campaign will help support Chas and Michelle Argent as they oversee the recovery of their 12-year-old son, Nicolas, who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on January 13, 2018. The stroke was caused by a medical condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which was previously undiagnosed and that presented no symptoms whatsoever until the stroke. Nicolas survived this life-threatening event and after spending two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, he was thrilled to come home on January 27th to be with his family – including his 9-year-old sister, Bryn; his dog, Willow; and his cat, Poe. Nicolas continues to amaze and inspire those around him with his fighting spirit, his astounding recovery, and his ever-present smile. However, his journey is just beginning. On January 29th, Nicolas began a comprehensive rehabilitation program at Kennedy Krieger Institute where he is receiving care from doctors, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, nurses, and neuropsychologists as he works towards transitioning back to middle school. It is currently anticipated that he will be receiving these intensive therapies for at least a few months. In the next 6 months or so, the Argents have been told that Nicolas will need to have surgery to correct the AVM condition in his brain that caused the stroke in the first place. Otherwise, it could happen again. It is not safe to do this procedure on Nicolas at this time. Further tests, treatments, and therapies will most likely follow. To care for Nicolas, Michelle has had to take an indefinite leave of absence without pay from her new career as a special educator. She just graduated with her M.Ed. in August and as a new employee, she does not qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act. For now, the family can keep health insurance under the school’s plan, but they have to pay the full, unsubsidized premium. The vast majority of Nicolas’ medical expenses are covered, but innumerable subsidiary expenses remain in the face of the significant loss of Michelle’s salary.    The Argents are great people, and this campaign is intended to provide the many friends of the Argents with an easy way to help them out during this time of need. Donated funds will go to help defray Argent family expenses while Nicolas recovers. There is no doubt that they will be very grateful for any help.