A mother's love

I'm writing this on behalf of my sister Patricia Arvin. Some of you may know her as "cue person", Eric Arvin’s mother and caregiver. Pat’s been a wife, is a mother and grandmother, devoted to caring for her family.

The long road started many years ago for her and her six young children. Her husband Jim died at fifty-two from a terrible disease known as "Cavernous Hemangiomas", leaving Pat with six young children to raise on her own.

A few years later this disease would threaten to take not one, but three of her children. The disease has been passed to two sons and a daughter.

Brent, her second son, has had five major brain surgeries. Stephanie has had one major brain surgery and learned last month that her latest MRI, shows a hemangioma growing on her brain stem, like her other son Eric Arvin.

Eric’s first brain surgery left him partially paralyzed, but he persevered and overcame his deficits to live a happy life. A few years later in 2013, a hemangioma on Eric’s brain stem put him in the hospital and threatened his life. He needed surgery and without it Eric would soon die. But the surgery came with big risks. Although the chances of recovery were slim, Eric chose the surgery.

It has now been three years. Eric’s surgery has left him with quadriplegia and dependent on a ventilator to breathe for him. He lives his life confined to his hospital bed totally dependent on his caregiver. The hospital wanted to send Eric to a nursing facility, but Pat chose to care for her son and brought him home to his family rather than have him cared for by overworked strangers.

At a time when she should be enjoying her Golden Years, my sister has dedicated her life to Eric. She is his main caregiver. I'm sharing this with you because as you can imagine, the financial part of Eric’s care has been tremendous, even with help from Medicare and Medicaid. It has taken a toll on her, not only physically, but financially as well.

I'm setting up a GO FUND ME campaign for Pat, to help bear some of the financial burden of caring for her family. I realize that there are many people in need, but pray you have it in your heart to help my sister continue the care her son requires.

I thank you in advance for your generosity and your prayers.

Sandy