My cousin, Patrick, who is 13 years old, was recently hospitalized for a deep vein thrombosis in his arm, which is a blood clot that obstructs blood flow in the affected extremity. He then underwent surgery to have it removed. Just a few days after he was sent home, he suffered from a pulmonary embolism affecting both lungs. This complication landed him back in the hospital. These conditions are quite rare for someone so young and were certainly unexpected. It was discovered that the underlying cause is a major vein being compressed by an extra or misaligned rib. Now that he’s recovering from his recent surgery, he is scheduled to undergo another procedure at Boston Children’s Hospital to have it corrected. Understandably, this has caused a great deal of stress for everyone involved.
This is not the only medical emergency this family has experienced over the past few months. For some time, my Uncle Jake was seeing doctors for unexplained fainting. After being prescribed to wear a heart monitor, it became apparent that his heart rate was very irregular and would occasionally stop completely – one time for 18 seconds. This led to him being hospitalized and out of work for some time to have a pacemaker installed. My Aunt Patricia was also out of work for about a month due to shingles. This, too, landed her in the hospital during this already stressful time.
With all of this happening so close together, the financial burden from numerous hospital stays, appointments, and time away from work is becoming a burden. My family and I have decided to help them by creating a fundraiser to support their travel expenses for multiple trips to Boston and their growing medical expenses. Any donation helps and is deeply appreciated.
This family has always gone above and beyond to help others, whether through their work, their kindness, or their involvement in the community. It would mean so much to be able to give something back to them in their time of need. Thank you for helping us support these wonderful people during this difficult time. Your generosity, prayers, and shares are all truly appreciated.
