Help Baby Oliver's Fight in the ICU

Hello everyone,

I am starting a GoFundMe for my dear friends Brittany and Derrick Berumen. They need our help now more than ever because their sweet family is going through the unimaginable: their newborn baby Oliver is currently in the ICU fighting for his little life. Please help me lift the family up in this enormous time of need, as medical bills and personal bills pile up and unfortunately don’t have a pause or delete button. The Berumen’s aren’t just our friends, they’re our family. Let’s show them the meaning of community, support, help, and love - every dollar counts!

All my love and thanks to everyone - Jessica Faria

Below is a note from the parents:

”I don’t even know where to begin with what has transpired over the past week. Our lives have been completely flipped upside down. We had been dealing with a cough/cold in Oliver for a week that took a turn for the worst. Monday afternoon we took Oliver to the ER due to vomiting and the inability to keep food down - he was so tired and lethargic and showing signs of dehydration. Since then we have been admitted to pediatrics in the hospital, and been on a rollercoaster of trying to figure out what is wrong with our little guy. Unfortunately things took a massive turn for the worst Friday in the early morning. I woke up in the hospital and noticed a massive difference in Oliver. He lost more weight and to spare details - it wasn’t looking good. Quite literally a mother’s worst nightmare to see what I saw. Friday morning happened very quickly as the pediatrics ICU team and nurses worked on Oliver to save his life. We have no idea how long we will be in the ICU but we know that we are in it for the long haul.

We feel this is pretty serious enough to bring to social media to share with family and friends who don’t know yet. I think anyone who knows us knows we would never ask for help from beyond our family unit unless it became absolutely necessary and unfortunately it has become that. Derrick had taken 4 weeks off for the birth of Oliver and exhausted all of his PTO for this time. Unfortunately we do not get paid FMLA, and he was only back at work for two weeks before everything that’s happened with Oliver. We are a single-income household and life still happens, bills still need to be paid, food needs to be put on the table. Thankfully we get service connected disability from the VA monthly, but it’s not enough. We know that we will have medical bills to come, but it’s the last thing on our minds. Right now we just need assistance in helping us travel back and forth from Oakley to Walnut Creek multiple times a day and several times a week. We need to be able to feed ourselves while in the hospital. It’s just two things to help alleviate some worry from our minds as we navigate this new road we have arrived at.

****UPDATE: a freezer has already been generously purchased by our CONFIRE Family, THANK YOU!!!******

An extra bonus would be help in purchasing or sourcing a small garage freezer for all the breast milk I have kept routinely pumping for Oliver. Our freezer is at its capacity since he has been unable to take any bottles (he is currently only on IV fluids - he has a feeding tube but since what happened Friday we are back to IV only).

We are so grateful to have two sets of grandparents to be with Elias and spoil him with as much love, snacks, and tv he deserves. Being away from your child with one in the hospital is something I never thought I’d have experience, and it’s the absolute worst. But I’m glad to know he is safe and cared for - as much as I wish I could be split in two to be with both of my babies 24/7.

We know times are hard for everyone right now, but even if a single meal was paid for we’d be more than grateful for it. Anything helps in a time like this. No gesture is too small. Hell, I’d take $5 for a coffee from the cafe. We need the help more than anything right now while we put our focus on finding out what’s wrong with Oliver and getting him healthy, stable, and able to come home.

If anything - please pray, keep us in your thoughts, send all positive vibes our way, light a candle, wish upon a star, whatever it is you believe - do it. Please. We need anything and everything to get our guy better and home.

Thank you all so much,

Love Brittany, Derrick, Elias and Oliver”