Hope for Eliyah
Donation protected
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Hope for Eliyah
Eliyah is 3 years old and has Dravet Syndrome. He has seizures and cannot walk or talk. During his short life, he has already been hospitalized over 20 times. Despite all this, he is full of life. He is a beautiful little boy and the light of our lives.
On September 3, 2015 Eliyah went in to status epilepticus, which is a state of continuous seizures. As we were out of town at the time, he had to be flown via helicopter to Sanford Hospital. On the helicopter, the flight nurse had to use an ambubag to help him breathe because of how much medication he had been given to make the seizures stop. We almost lost our sweet little boy that day.
In the fall of 2014, after getting the results of Eliyah's EEG, we were told that due to the increased activity in Eliyah's brain, we had three options. We could increase his seizure medications (he was already on several medications), we could try a ketogenic diet and/or we could try cannabidiol (CBD) oil.
We started Eliyah on the ketogenic diet in April 2015. This means we must use a computer program and scale to make his food. We enter every food that he eats into the program and he has to be at a 4:1 ratio. For example, for every 25 calories from protein or carbohydrates, he has to eat 100 calories of fat, which for him, is mostly butter and coconut oil. He didn't even get to have cake on his 3rd birthday.
Eliyah is on a regimen of medications as well as the ketogenic diet and is currently still having seizures every night. Most recently, he has experienced regression. Eliyah can no longer sit up by himself, pull himself to stand or play with his toys. We have to grind up all his food and thicken his water.
Currently, we live in South Dakota, one of just 11 states where CBD oil is not legal. Last fall we joined with New Approach SD and campaigned for medical cannabis and CBD in our state. We were told we did not have enough signatures to go to ballot.
Then, a wonderful senator, picked up our bill and introduced it to the Health and Human Services committee. After much consideration, the bill was amended to be a CBD only bill for children with intractable epilepsy. This bill passed through the Senate but was recently failed by the House.
We are running out of options for our son. We are asking for donations to help with the cost of medicine, driving back and forth to see his epileptologist at Children's Hospital Colorado and funds to help assist with a move, if it comes to that.
Eliyah has a 10 year old sister, Payley and an 8 year old sister Piper as well as a mom and dad who love him very much and would do anything to help him have a better life. He currently attends special preschool, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
We thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts as we seek to help our little boy.
May God bless you,
George, Kristin, Payley, Piper and Eliyah Hendrickson
Hope for Eliyah
Eliyah is 3 years old and has Dravet Syndrome. He has seizures and cannot walk or talk. During his short life, he has already been hospitalized over 20 times. Despite all this, he is full of life. He is a beautiful little boy and the light of our lives.
On September 3, 2015 Eliyah went in to status epilepticus, which is a state of continuous seizures. As we were out of town at the time, he had to be flown via helicopter to Sanford Hospital. On the helicopter, the flight nurse had to use an ambubag to help him breathe because of how much medication he had been given to make the seizures stop. We almost lost our sweet little boy that day.
In the fall of 2014, after getting the results of Eliyah's EEG, we were told that due to the increased activity in Eliyah's brain, we had three options. We could increase his seizure medications (he was already on several medications), we could try a ketogenic diet and/or we could try cannabidiol (CBD) oil.
We started Eliyah on the ketogenic diet in April 2015. This means we must use a computer program and scale to make his food. We enter every food that he eats into the program and he has to be at a 4:1 ratio. For example, for every 25 calories from protein or carbohydrates, he has to eat 100 calories of fat, which for him, is mostly butter and coconut oil. He didn't even get to have cake on his 3rd birthday.
Eliyah is on a regimen of medications as well as the ketogenic diet and is currently still having seizures every night. Most recently, he has experienced regression. Eliyah can no longer sit up by himself, pull himself to stand or play with his toys. We have to grind up all his food and thicken his water.
Currently, we live in South Dakota, one of just 11 states where CBD oil is not legal. Last fall we joined with New Approach SD and campaigned for medical cannabis and CBD in our state. We were told we did not have enough signatures to go to ballot.
Then, a wonderful senator, picked up our bill and introduced it to the Health and Human Services committee. After much consideration, the bill was amended to be a CBD only bill for children with intractable epilepsy. This bill passed through the Senate but was recently failed by the House.
We are running out of options for our son. We are asking for donations to help with the cost of medicine, driving back and forth to see his epileptologist at Children's Hospital Colorado and funds to help assist with a move, if it comes to that.
Eliyah has a 10 year old sister, Payley and an 8 year old sister Piper as well as a mom and dad who love him very much and would do anything to help him have a better life. He currently attends special preschool, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
We thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts as we seek to help our little boy.
May God bless you,
George, Kristin, Payley, Piper and Eliyah Hendrickson
Organizer and beneficiary
Kristin Hendrickson
Organizer
Sioux Falls, SD
George Hendrickson
Beneficiary