Help Luke Afford Treatment!

Hello! For the past year and a half, my nine-year-old brother, Luke, suffers from a neurological condition known as PANDAS. This condition is brought about by a streptococcal infection in children; resulting in symptoms such as violent behavior towards himself and others, extreme OCD tendencies, and abrupt motor or vocal tics. These symptoms may come in waves. Not to mention, Luke is already nonverbal, deaf (with the assistance of cochlear implants), and diagnosed with severe autism around age three. To add on to that, Luke is suspected to have Type I Ushers Syndrome causing blindness in adolescence. Things started to look up for Luke three years ago, as he became potty trained, began using some sign language, and could distinguish between colors, animals, and people in the family. Going to all kinds of therapy alongside the help of his outstanding interpreter gave Luke the ability to reach goals no one thought he could reach. All of that progress made went down the drain, though, when Luke fell sick with PANDAS. My family, a household of six, tried and still tries everything under the sun from conventional medicine (using doctors appointments, lab work, and prescriptions) to functional medicine (using natural methods including oils, diet/medicinal foods, and supplements). Nothing seems to make a lasting difference, especially the violence. Hitting, kicking, scratching, biting, and throwing heavy objects are a part of our daily life now. As a matter of fact, Luke chucked an object with full force breaking the television in our house not long along. My mom is also living proof of the violence with scars and scratches running down both arms and her face. We want our dear Luke back. The next step of treatment is IVIG infusion, but insurance does not cover all the very expensive costs. Moreover, the price of insurance continues to rise every month with extreme deductibles. And that is not the only thing rising, the price of appointments per hour are shocking. To be quite frank, my family is running out of money. Both of my parents are hardworking, retail pharmacists with my dad working full-time and my mom working part-time; even with the chronic medical conditions they face like Type I Diabetes and Degenerative Disk Disease/Chronic Systemic Inflammation. Yet, they can barely afford bills let alone treatment for Luke. Dozens of hours continue to get cut from my dad and my mom cannot find enough shifts to even be labeled as part-time. Not one person, including my parents, got a so-called "yearly" raise this year as expected. Assistance such as Medicaid takes years on the waitlist; Luke is on the waitlist. My family “makes too much” for other kinds of assistance. Please consider helping us support Luke’s medical treatment needed in the coming months. Any donation amount will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!