This humbles me more than you know to ask but :
15. The total number of days we were in the hospital. The long line in the first picture represents the 24 hours we went home thinking everything was getting better. We were back rather quickly with additional issues. Aiden was helicoptered to Phoenix Children's on the 10th. He was really ill. The CT scan discovered 7, yes 7, abcesses full of infection that needed drained and treated asap. He "won" the ruptured appendix jackpot. He spent 8 days the first time sleeping most of it off. Aiden needed 3 drains and an ng tube to address the issues. We went home, extremely excited to leave, only to go back 24 hours later with a high fever and additional pain. He had 2 more abcesses that needed attention. We were told 2-3 days, but the fever had a hard time breaking. We ended up being there 7 more days.. I'm happy to report we have now been home 5 days and he is getting better every day. We came home without drains, but on heavy antibiotics. We aren't done yet, and the appendix can't come out until September, but every day is better than the one before.
That being said, our medical bills are expected to be quite high. More than we can manage honestly. So far I have received bills for over $6,000, and that just covered our first day. We have yet to see the cost of the helicopter, although I've been told it will exceed $40,000 by itself. I'm hoping $100,000 will cover at least half of the costs we incurred, and we are pursuing grants and other financial aid. Any dollar donated will go directly to medical bills. We also appreciate your prayers for healing, peace, and financial favor as we go through this challenging time.
