Steven’s Endless Fight To Survive

At 13 years of age, he was hit by a drunk driver in New York and suffered head trauma injuries among other body injuries, remained in a coma for a few weeks, spent many months at the hospital and later, years in rehabilitation and different programs, but survived.

Covid hit in 2020, Steven fell and had to be sent to a rehabilitation hospital. Within a few days, he was sent to the emergency hospital with Covid. He spent many months at the hospital in the Covid unit fighting for his life, and once again, Steven fought and SURVIVED.

However, his health and body was not the same and became very fragile and weak thereafter. Within a year after Covid, it was discovered that he was not able to eat and swallow properly, they (the hospital) found his food going to his lungs and not to the stomach. After many tests, they recommended that he needed to wear a Peg Tube in his stomach where he would be fed a special milk and nothing else; no food or liquids via mouth. Steven loved all kinds of foods but when this happened, the idea of not eating the way he used to sent him into a deep depression. He didn’t want to live with this situation. He fell into a deep dark state of mind, but eventually, after much praying, and with hopes that it would not be permanent, he accepted and adjusted months later as best as he could; Steven survived this fight again.

After the Peg tube was put in, he started having cases of pneumonia, due to aspiration which put him in the hospital for months at a time. But every time, he survived and came back home to continue treatments, therapies, among a regimen of medicines such as oxygen as needed in order to help him breath. Throughout all this hardship, once again, Steven survived. Emotionally. Mentally. Physically.

Over a year ago, Steven was admitted at a new hospital and was wrongly diagnosed. They said he had a heart emergency issue which turned out to be misdiagnosed and they had to remedy it. Days later, they found that he was suffering from pneumonia due to aspiration, however, since his lungs were neglected for some days (because they focused on the heart first) his lungs became full of fluids. He ended up with a respiratory failure, at which time he had to be intubated immediately. Steven spent many months on a ventilator. Over a month within that time, he was in an induced coma.

His 65 year old single mother for over 35 years has dedicated her time to nourish him, care for him and be by his side constantly before, during, and after each of these hospital visits. He depends on her as his Mother and legal guardian.

But now it has become even more difficult as they find that they’re about to lose their rental house where they’ve lived for years, due to higher rental pricing. His single Mother, who spends her day taking care of Steven, has not been able to work full time and spends her days caring for him day and night.

Steven needs a spacious room where he can have his hospital bed, oxygen tanks, lift, wheel chair and his only source of entertainment, his TV where he can see his favorite WWE fights, and his games, mostly WWE games.

They find themselves with NO programs to help them move into a house where he can have a first-floor room that is also close to a major hospital as per his doctor’s recommendations.

He needs special physical therapy, swallowing therapy, among other treatments, that his Medicaid insurance continues to deny.

Most importantly, he needs and deserves to live in a decent comfortable home where he can have the things he needs, especially all the medical equipment used for his daily care.

We were blessed to find help in time to move October 2023 to a smaller but more expensive home at the last second.

Steven has fallen back to the hospital the day of his birthday, March 1st and is in ICU combating daily for his life.

His mother again finds herself unable to work as she must stay day and overnights by his side to prevent further malpractices. The family struggles and needs your help.

Hoping Steven will come home soon.