Support for Joey and the Burke Family

Joey is a sweet, funny, and strong-willed three-year-old little boy. He loves drums, swinging, and water play. He is a mischievous brother to Carl and an affectionate son to Pat and Mallary. His family loves him fiercely and supports him tirelessly.

Since being born with Down Syndrome and other related conditions, including Autism, Abernethy malformation, Congenital portosystemic shunt, and others, Joey has needed a G-tube to get nutrition, has had several major and minor surgeries, and has had many respiratory illnesses, resulting in countless hospital stays.

Most recently, on June 17 and 24, 2024, Joey underwent a two-part surgery to remove an extra shunt in his liver. His recovery has not gone as expected, as his liver is slow to recover from surgery and he has a new diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome. This means that, due to the liver abnormality, Joey’s lungs have not developed the blood vessels needed for adequate gas exchange in order to get oxygen through the rest of his body. He is currently being supported on ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation) and continues to need extensive medical intervention.

Joey and his family need our help. In addition to medical bills, there are costs that some of us may not think of: special food for Joey‘s G-tube, missed work, additional childcare for Joey‘s brother, and food, gas, and hotels for the family while Joey is in the hospital.

So many people have reached out wanting to offer support for Joey and his family. One thing we can do is ease their burden so that they can focus on what’s most important during this time. Please consider making a donation to support Joey and his family.