Help Cameron's Fight for Life

I’m creating this GoFundMe on behalf of my mom and brother. The last thing I want for them both is to worry about medical bills and expenses with traveling and being out of work. My mother has been traveling (as well as Cam to help him through this) back and forth from Chicago, TN Vanderbilt hospital and back to her home here in Southwest FL. I’m doing this in hopes to help to compensate in uncovered medical bills, travel expenses, as well as living expense bills still at home.

He’ll be 32 on July 14 and is currently fighting for his life at Northwestern hospital in Chicago.

Cameron was born with double inlet, single ventricle, as well as an interrupted aortic arch.

First two surgeries were on day two and day three of his birth. First open heart was 11 months old. At four years old, they attempted a Fontana procedure, but his kidneys were shutting down so two days later, they went back in and reversed.

At seven years old, they tried again and his Fontane was placed. This was his fourth open heart surgery date.

At 12 years old, he had a pacemaker placed. At 16 years old, another pacemaker was placed due to malfunctioning leads. Because of the placement of these pacemakers, these surgeries were open chest.

He was diagnosed additionally with protein, losing enteropathy at that time. This presents as malnutrition, along with other related health complications.

Two interstitial surgeries, 4 open-heart surgeries, two open chest surgeries, smaller surgeries, cardiac catheterizations, and more.

Cameron was first told he needed a new heart at the age of 25.

He gave up his autonomy. His apartment, his job and his vehicle to move to Florida to be evaluated for heart transplant.

He was evaluated first at UF Health Shands in Gainesville, Florida. He was deemed too sick for them to list him.

He moved to Chicago where Northwestern evaluated him. Too complicated for them to list him for transplant.

Mayo Clinic was up next. They only sent him a letter as they did not want him to waste his time and money going there in person. According to what they read in his file, they also refused to list him for Transplant.

His records were also sent to the University of Chicago. Although we never heard back.

Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee stepped in and agreed to continue the evaluation process through their facilities. This included multiple flights for Cameron back-and-forth to Nashville. And my mom, driving up from Florida each time, picking him up at the airport.  Cameron was not inpatient during all of these weekly evaluations and procedures, tests. Therefore, hotels were the only option for accommodations. Food. Gas. Flights. Other special needs.

It was at Vanderbilt during a scan that Cameron found the source of his acute and  excruciating back pain; 3 compression fractures in his thoracic region. This comes along with his protein losing enteropathy diagnosis, again presenting as malnutrition.

Due to the Fontan being in place all of these years, he now has Fontan Associated Liver Disease.

If his numbers could ever improve, and Vanderbilt felt determined enough to place him on a list, it would need to be both heart and liver transplant. And Cameron would be the first Fontan patient at Vanderbilt to be a dual organ transplant.

My mom is his primary source of support. Expenses up to this point have now put her and Cameron above and beyond hardship.

To further complicate the situation, on May 28 this year, Cameron presented to Northwestern Hospital emergency department with an upper respiratory infection, as it turned out. Through lab work, found his sodium was bottoming out at a number of 120.  He was hospitalized that evening and remains in the hospital in dire condition.

He is currently at 102 pounds. He is on IV dobutamine. An IV antibiotic. A multitude of cardiac meds.

His hemoglobin numbers have been trending down and back up. He has had two blood transfusions this week. Doctors have not found a source of bleed so it’s very complicated. And scary.

Specialties that are part of his ongoing battle include:

Cardiology

Pediatric cardiology

Heart failure team

Hepatology

Nephrology

Gastroenterology

ENT

Palliative team

And yet, Cameron still physically strains himself to sit up, walk (assisted), and move his muscles so he can get better. He is the strongest, most determined human you will ever meet!

My mom remains at his side, sleeping on the small couch in his room, 10 days now.

My family and I thank you and God bless for any consideration.