Cure SJIA for Declan LeBaron

A little background on Declan. From a very young age we noticed Declan had a very passionate zest for life. He is so silly, loves to laugh and loves making people laugh even more. He has a limitless imagination and finds fun wherever he is and with whomever he is with. He is always happy. He wins over the hearts of anyone who is lucky enough to meet him with his contagious laughter, larger than life personality and kind heart.

Since July of this year(2022), Declan has been in and out of the hospital, missing over 30 days of 1st grade. He has had multiple MRI's, a spinal tap, and a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration along with countless other blood tests. Through it all, Declan still showed us glimpses of that contagious smile. My sister-in-law (Declan's mom Jillian) has been by his side through it all and my brother (Declan's dad Brandon) has taken a leave of absence from work to be able to go to the hospital while also caring for Declan's siblings, Caden (8) and Piper (2). This has been a very challenging time for their family and the medical bills are beginning to pile up.

Declan received a diagnosis called SJIA. Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a severe autoimmune form of arthritis that can aggressively attack not only the joints but also tissues and organs throughout the body. It is a serious subtype of juvenile arthritis that only affects about 10% of the juvenile arthritis population. For Declan it has affected his neck, hips, liver, and kidneys.

Early recognition of SJIA and initiation of proper treatment are considered critical to successfully controlling inflammation and the disease given the growing evidence of the benefit of biologic medication which he has since been started on. The medication Declan is on will cost a lot of money out of pocket each month, and that is after insurance coverage. Any funds will used to cover medical expenses, travel to and from appointments, and follow up care. This is a chronic diagnosis, and we know Declan has a long journey ahead.

Declan’s family is rooted in their love for Jesus, so any prayers for Declan’s healing and pain relief would be very appreciated.