Baby Eáko Zyon’s Cleft Lip & Palate Journey

While every baby is so special, my sister, Tiffany, and CJay recently learned that their son, Eáko Zyon, will be born with a significant cleft lip and palate.  Although he is growing very healthy, this has presented a new reality that’s as unique and special as their baby boy.  Due to the severity of Eáko's cleft lip and palate, he will be undergoing an extensive number of surgeries, both physical and speech therapies as well as a multitude of other related care needs throughout his newborn to young adult life; the first surgery occuring at only 10 days old.

Both Tiffany and CJay have been so positive about this gift God has given them in their son and are so excited to love and care for their baby boy.  The reality with all babies is that it takes a village and with the additional care our precious Eáko will need, Tiffany and CJay humbly know they cannot accomplish this alone.   We first ask for you to send prayers and positivity over Baby EZ's delivery, surgeries and long-winded recovery.  We also ask that you send positive energy, peace, patience, diligence, ease of feeding, breathing, rest, enjoyment and continued partnership over Tiff and CJay as their new and challenging, but exciting adventure unfolds.  For those desiring to partner alongside them in other tangible ways, our family created this GoFundMe in hopes that, together, we can help ease some of the overwhelming amount of expenses Baby EZ's unique characteristics and quality care will require. Just to give an idea, Baby EZ's first surgey at 10 days old is likely to cost $80,000 out-of-pocket depending on what insurance covers.  Below you will find a breakdown of how your financial blessings will be divided throughout Baby EZ's ongoing journey.


Year One:

1.  Full diagnostic exam (1-3 days old)

2.  Cleft Lip and Nose Surgery (10 - 14 days old, < 6 weeks old)

3.  Diagnostic Exam with his lifelong Craniofacial Team (6 mos.)

4.  Cleft Palate Surgery (9-12 mos)

5.  Lactation Specialist visitations 

6.  Extended maternity and paternity leave support (In order to provide the care and development EZ will need during his extensive recovery, Tiffany has to pause all of her Holistic practices to take care of him full-time and CJay will have to take an extended leave in the first year.)


Years 1+  to  12 years old

1.  Hearing Exams 

2.  Speech Therapy

3.  Continued Diagnostic Exams

4.  Additional Palate, Orthodontics, Alveolar (jaw) Surgeries and bone graft (As a child with cleft palate continues to flourish and grow, they must have ongoing palate surgeries to ensure their palates can remain intact with a growing facial structure.)

5.  Stem Cell Storage (this medical technology will be used for EZ's alveolar surgery)


Years 13+ 

1.  Additional Palate Surgery/-ies (most likely to occur around the time EZ hits puberty.)

2.  Physical Therapy


Though this may be an expansive list and daunting for many, our families and especially Tiff and CJay feel optimistic about the situation because of their strong faith and an innovative medical health team from Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

From the first time they were given the news about their son, CJay and Tiff welcomed this journey ahead.   They know that they have been entrusted to care for Baby EZ and look forward with hearts of positivity because they believe, “God doesn’t give you what you can’t handle.”  Both of them desire to use this platform beyond the needs of financial blessings, but also as a way to shed light on children born with cleft lips and palates, which is the second most common birth defect amongst all births.  They desire that cleft lip/palate children and their families no longer be made to feel taboo or different.  It is their hope that the more we share this page and talk about it, the more awareness we raise and encourage healthy communication and responses that uplift others in the same journey.  To help further the spread of information, medical advances and positivity with cleft children, they have agreed to use their case for teaching purposes and feel blessed to use their situation to help others.  In addition, this page will also be continuously updated as a live platform through Eáko's warrior journey.

We cannot put into words our gratitude for your generosity that you choose to pour over them:  no amount would go unnoticed or unappreciated.  We pause and recognize that your own time, energy and effort is behind every dollar that you gift Baby EZ.  So beyond the dollar amount is so much more.  It is deep sacrifice and an intentional and tangible outpouring of your love.  Our hearts are so humbled and we, as a family, do not have enough 'Thank yous' to fully express our appreciation of your choice to partner alongside them and bless them.  So, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU x 1 million and infinity.  Thank you for loving them.  Thank you for praying for them.  Thank you for positively pouring light over them.  Thank you for continuously showing them they have a village.  Thank you for showing them that they are not alone because we are in this together.  Thank you for blessing them far greater than any words can encompass.  Thank you for blessing their son's life.  Thank you for blessing Eáko with the gift of easier speech, breathing, eating, smiling and so many more invaluable future things and moments.  You are a light and a gift in their lives and I know Tiffany and CJay will always let Eáko know how his life has brought people together.  Thank you for that special message he will get to hear.  It is all thanks to the goodness of you and your giving.

We hope that you each leave this page feeling valued and encouraged to partner alongside them as you shine light, love and blessings upon CJay, Tiffany and Eáko as they enter into this journey.  What we do here will help change the care and narrative for our sweet new family member, Eáko Zyon de Leon-Parel, and help more uniquely beautiful cleft lip and cleft palate babies just like him.

Thank you. We appreciate you.  We value you.  We love you.

All our love, gratitude and light.