An update on Eddie & his family's needs

Dear Friends:

I've talked with Kori a couple times in the last couple days. Eddie remains in the hospital; he has two infections in his blood in addition to the infections in his spine. Eddie's on a lot of antibiotics--yesterday, he had a terrible allergic reaction to one of them--and has been removed from the lung transplant list until he's healthy enough to receive lungs.

Can things possibly be any harder for them??

I'm really grateful to those of you who are helping however you can--especially with meals. Those meals really are helpful--Marshall and his grandpa are eating them during the week, and Kori is grabbing leftovers for her own meals in the hospital whenever she can. Thank you, friends!

I had hoped to visit Kori and Eddie in the hospital today, but because of Moriah's pneumonia this week, I'm not allowed to be anywhere near Eddie. But the family does have some substantial needs due to Eddie's hospitalization--if you're looking for ways to help, please read on.

First, Kori is filling her car with gas every couple days because she is going to and from the hospital a couple times every day--her father is legally blind, you may recall, so she needs to be home at times to drive Marshall somewhere, and to see him, too. Gas cards would be so very helpful to them during this time if you're willing or able to send some her way (let me know if you need her address; I'm at mnwinchell (at) hotmail).

Kori's also a Dunkin Donuts girl...she's getting by on coffee with shots of espresso. As some of you know, living in the hospital gets very expensive very quickly--parents at Children's do not receive free food. So Dunks cards would also be super helpful (other food places near there are Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, Bertuccis, Bolocco, McDonald's, and CVS...yes, those of us who live in hospitals often use the hospital CVS as our own personal grocery store).

Also, you'd think that folks who stay long-term at Children's wouldn't be required to pay for parking in the hospital parking garage. This isn't the case. And when you come and go, as Kori does, you are charged each and every time (I think it's $7 or so now?). So assuming Kori pays that fee twice a day...we're talking another $100 or so she's using each week just to park her car there. I've looked into ways around this, believe me (when we lived there, I even petitioned the Family Care Center there to DO something about what I consider to be a really unfair and cruel-to-already-stressed-families practice)...but the parking garage company is not owned by the hospital, and there's nothing that can be done except to pay the fee. And sadly, Children's is the least expensive garage in the area.

So if you'd like to send money or gift cards directly to Kori, feel free to do that. Or, you can donate to the Fund and I will distribute the money to her (for example, in months that Eddie is in the hospital, Kori usually can't afford to pay her rent because of her gas/parking/food expenses, so the Fund pays the rent for her). So a donation to the Fund helps all of these needs.

Finally, Eddie's Fund in general is going to be depleted this summer--I figure I can pay their usual bills through July (through June if we begin assuming rent payments). I'm going to announce a fundraiser soon (just as soon as I can lift my head from Moriah's oxygen levels and think beyond today)...but if you want to donate to the Fund, or throw a party and invite your friends to donate to the Fund, or run a race for the Fund...please do! And thanks to those who have already donated this month.

I know this is a most overwhelming set of circumstances. Sometimes it's so overwhelming that I feel almost "stuck" with how to help or what to do...sometimes Eddie's situation seems that unbelievable, and that cruel. I'm sure you feel the same way. That's why I'm especially grateful this morning--on a morning in which I've already cried for Eddie and his pain--for all you do to love on their family and to extend the grace of God, the light of Love, to them. In the face of suffering, we are invited to ask not "Why?" but "How, then, can we live?" Thanks for answering the "how" question with your kindness and care.

With my thanks,
Melissa for Eddie's Fund

Back in the hospital

Dear Friends of Eddie,

I'm writing today to let you know that Friday Eddie went back into the hospital with a severe infection. I know his mom, Kori, would so appreciate your prayers for them during these challenging days! Let's hope the doctors can determine the kind of infection he has, treat it well, and keep Eddie on the lung transplant list. And most importantly, let's pray for strength, courage, and peace for their family.

Thanks for continuing to care for Eddie.
Melissa

May Day

Somehow, it's May already.

Is anyone else having that, "Where did April go?" feeling?

Eddie and his mom, Kori, certainly are. Eddie spent a week in the hospital in April, and hasn't been well since. He's requiring new kinds of care, and new kinds of pain management with some pretty heavy duty drugs. Kori told me that they were in Boston FOUR TIMES last week (!) for appointments, some of them lasting all day and well into the evening hours. How she manages to keep up with their life--the medical appointments, the therapies, the tutors, the nursing staff, and her other son Marshall's schooling and life--I really don't know.

Except I know that lots of you have continued to provide support to the family, even in the racing-by month of April. Kori and I are so grateful to you. Handfuls of you continue to bring meals to their house every Monday, Wednesday, or Friday evening; Kori often spreads these meals out throughout their week. (And if you'd like to join our amazing team of meal folks, please use the link on the right to our Helping Hands calendar--many of us who don't live near Kori and her family have food delivered to them instead of delivering it ourselves, so all it takes is a phone call and $20 on your credit card). Some of you have continued to donate to the Fund; a few of you are monthly supporters, and your $20 or $50 a month goes a long way to helping us help Eddie's family pay their bills and keep up with their medical expenses.

So it's May. A new month that will hopefully usher in a new season--summer, yes, but also we hope, new lungs for Eddie. Thanks for joining with us as we wait with his family for his transplant and as we do all we can to keep them encouraged (and fed, and cared for) during these months of waiting. All of your efforts are noticed and so appreciated.