Jimmy  Darts

SB Mowing

Pattie Gonia

Little Miss Flint

Kalina Silverman / @makebigtalk on Instagram

Samuel Weidenhofer

Patriotic Kenny Foundation

Ben Saunders - Flawless Cleaning

The Dogist

Peter Bond

Amy Jandrisevits

Ask Uncle Jack

That Good News Girl

Tess Bohne

FowlMouthFarmer

Latonja and Taylor Richardson

Officer Richard Craig

Flavor Flav

John Wolfe

Khloe

<div><span>Christian sustained a severe and rare brain injury due to the lack of oxygen and blood flow during labor. The entire back half of Christian’s brain is permanently damaged. Sadly, about 75% of babies with similar brain injuries will develop cerebral palsy. Christian will be evaluated for cerebral palsy in December.</span><br />
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<div>My name is Celeste and I am organizing this Go Fund Me on behalf of my nephew, Christian. I’m hoping to raise money for his intensive therapies at the NAPA Center in Chicago and SMILE Therapy for Kids in Toronto, Canada. These therapies are essential and effective in helping the brain remap after injury. This is also known as neuroplasticity. Unfortunately, they are not covered by insurance. 

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<div>Here is a summary of Christian’s journey from his mama, and my big sister, Ashley:

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<div>Christian was born 5 weeks early at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo on March 6, 2023. After hours of waiting for the arrival of my baby boy, things quickly took a turn for the worse. When Christian was placed on my chest, he wasn’t crying or breathing. He was purple. The neonatal intensive care team needed to get him breathing right away. I didn’t know it would be 7 whole days before I got to touch or hold my son for the first time. 

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<div>A specialty pediatrician from Oishei Children’s Hospital came to speak with us and explained that Christian has hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). We had never heard of this. I don’t think most people have. 

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<div>It was traumatizing and heartbreaking to give birth and have my baby taken away immediately. We had no idea what to expect. 

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<div>The doctor suggested we transfer Christian to Children’s ASAP as they  offer a cooling therapy which is the only treatment for HIE. The cooling therapy protects the brain from additional damage. The baby would be on a cold mattress pad for 72 hours. During this time we would not be able to touch Christian. 

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<div>Ryan went to Children’s and stayed with the baby that night. I was devastated. All I could do was cry. I didn’t want my baby to be alone or cold. 

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<div>On Christian’s 7th day of life, the NICU team, hematology, neurology, and neurosurgery teams told us that Christian would not breathe on his own, eat on his own, never walk to kindergarten, never go to a regular daycare, he will need around the clock care, and that we should consider whether we want to continue support. 

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<div>I didn’t need to consider anything. My son was coming home and there were no other options. 

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<div>The doctors urged us to go home for a couple hours. I fell to my knees at Christian’s crib, gripping the rails as I tried to catch my breath. 

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<div>I sat in the rocking chair, sobbing, while staring at an empty crib. All my family could do was sit on the floor, helplessly. We were all crushed. 

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<div>Seizures, blood clot on his little brain, a brain bleed. Everyday we took another punch, tearing us down to what became the worst time of our lives.  

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<div>After a 22 day stay in the NICU, baby Christian was home! This week we celebrated 8 months of Christian! He eats on his own, breathes on his own, and he is so very happy. We keep busy with lots of doctors appointments and therapies. Most of the time we never get good news, but he continues to be a tiny and mighty fighter.

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<div>In addition to HIE, Christian has been diagnosed with epilepsy, microcephaly, laryngomalacia, stridor, and GERD. He also recently had surgery on his tethered spinal cord. 

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<div>We have a long road of unknowns ahead of us but at no time do we stop being thankful to God for how far Christian has come already! 

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<div>Christian was accepted to a 3 week intensive therapy at the NAPA Center in Chicago. He will be doing 4 hours of therapy a day, for 5 days a week. 

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<div>This will be Christian’s 3rd and longest intensive. They have been to Toronto and Tampa so far and are eager to get started on another round of therapies to try to remap damaged areas of his brain.  

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<div>The goal of therapy at this point is to strengthen Christian’s head and trunk control so that he may be able to do simple things such as sit up on his own or learn to roll over.

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<div>He is behind developmentally and although he is 8 months, many of his milestones have stalled at the 3-4 month mark. 

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<div>NAPA is a world renowned pediatric therapy clinic. There are no locations in New York, which means it’s not covered by insurance and they will have to travel. This does not include flights, lodging, food expenses, or missed time from work. 

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<div>From the bottom of my heart, I humbly ask that you share this link with family, friends, coworkers, in hopes of helping baby Christian on his lifelong journey. 

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<div>We thank you for your support and God bless each and every one of you. 

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<div>- Celeste Rodriguez

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Support Baby Christian’s Brain Injury Battle

<div>My name is Ally and my boyfriend Adam's three-year-old dog, Zeus, was unexpectedly hospitalized yesterday with a slipped disc. In the last 24 hours, he has lost the ability to walk and use the bathroom on his own. As of right now, we are weighing out options as far as surgery and treatment going forward. We are kindly asking for donations to help pay for Zeus' vet bills, any amount is greatly appreciated.
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Treatment for Zeus

Hey everyone.. for those of you who don’t know, on May 10th, I was admitted into the hospital and diagnosed with a mycoplasma infection, complicated appendicitis, and an obstruction in the small intestine. Thankfully my appendix was removed successfully, but I am still battling the pneumonia and doctors are still trying to discover the cause of the obstruction. I am being fed through a vein, while a nasogastric tube empties debris from my stomach. I am currently writing this from my bed in the hospital, after getting over the feeling of shame for wanting to ask for financial help. My medical expenses are currently over ten thousand dollars and will continue to increase as I am here. Every day I am asked to sign a new expense and how I am planning on paying it. My family and I are doing what we can but since I moved to Puerto Rico recently, and was admitted without a medical plan, I will be receiving no help from insurance. I know we are all in tough times with the covid pandemic but I am asking for anyone who is capable and willing to help.. anything helps and is greatly appreciated. All funds will be used towards medical bills from surgery, ambulance rides (I was transferred thrice), recovery, etc. If you cannot help financially, prayers and positivity are equally valued as I continue to recover. Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope everyone is staying healthy during this quarantine!

Help with Danté’s Medical Expenses

Sadly, we lost another close friend... a son, a brother, a father.   <br />Jay, most know as JRock, Jamie, Rock, passed suddenly last night.  <br />We all know Jay for his humor, his urgency to make us all laugh and mostly his dedication to his son Jordan.  He is a dad, a father who would do anything for his son. He had a love for life like no one we knew.  His smile was engaging and his stories the most entertaining.  His passion for music was something that will remain as vivid as the porch parties, his boom box, his WBLK contest and his jukebox addictions!<br /><br />While he leaves behind his loved ones to grieve from this  loss, the burdens of financial demands are weighing heavy and making already hard decisions, harder.  WE CAN HELP!<br /><br />I am asking for your financial help to ease this burden.  Jay gave us loyalty through friendships and memories for all.  Let us give back and honor him with support for his loved ones. <br /><br />As a lifelong friend, I ask that any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Funeral Expenses for JRock

Please donate to help out North Tonawanda firefighter Ken walker in this hard time. For those that don't know Ken received a letter in the mail threatening to leave the fire service or he will regret it. This morning his house caught on fire. <br />I'm a fellow firefighter from a neighboring company that is trying to help someone who is in need of help. From one firefighter to another. From one human to another human. <br />It is amazing to have to raise the goal again! The Walker family appreciates all of the generosity! New goal is now 130k!!Thank you again for all the donations!

Help Firefighter Ken Walker