Medical emergency

To know our friend Cooper is to love him!

Our friends, the Bartos 5, are going through a very hard time right now. Two weeks before Christmas, they thought Cooper, 10 years old, had a stomach bug. It turns out that Cooper has E. Coli and they have no idea where he picked it up. A stay in the New River Valley Medical Center (10 minutes from home), led to a stay at Roanoke Carilion (an hour from home), to an emergency ambulance ride to the University of Virginia medical center (about 3 hours from home) because Cooper's kidneys have stopped working. Since contracting E. Coli, Cooper has developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) which is causing Posterior Reversal Encephalopathy (PRES).

Right now, the medical staff at UVa is desperately trying to fight the E. Coli infection, save Cooper's kidneys, and manage his symptoms through dialysis, blood pressure medicine, blood transfusions, as well as a host of other medical treatments. Cooper is experiencing episodes of dilerium, not wanting to eat or drink, and has gained over 20 pounds of fluid since the 17th. John and Colleen are switching shifts between the hospital and at the hotel with Alix and Ben.

At this time, their biggest expense is the hotel room. Because of the E. Coli infection, places like the Ronald McDonald house are not an option for the family. An anticipated time frame is that Cooper will be at UVa for at least two weeks and that's if everything goes perfectly and his kidneys start functioning again. Our goal of $4,000 will cover the hotel room for that amount of time (which has a very basic kitchenette so the family isn't eating out all the time) plus a bit extra for groceries. Anything will help.

Most of all we ask for prayers for Cooper's health, the doctor's wisdom, and for the well-being of the rest of the Bartos family as they deal with the emotional heartache of watching Cooper struggle.