Joseph's Story
Total Assistance: $18,970
“With our small house, also comes an even smaller bathroom. Without a lift currently, we are unable to get Taylor into the bathroom, therefore we are forced to bathe him in the living room in a 40-gallon livestock feed trough.”
Joseph’s son Taylor was 5 years old when he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain and central nervous system cancer called Metastatic Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors (AT/RT). AT/RT is a very aggressive (Grade V) brain and central nervous system cancer and after a couple of MRIs the family found that it had spread to five tumors in his brain and spine. Taylor underwent a craniotomy to remove a tumor that was putting pressure on his facial cranial nerves. But when the doctors looked at the post-op MRI, the tumors had doubled in size in only eight days.
Taylor underwent intensive proton and photon radiation and chemotherapy treatment, spending most of his treatment inpatient. Although he completed all his cancer treatments in May 2019, he developed debilitating side effects—Disseminating Necrotizing Leukoencephalopathy and spinal cord damage, rendering him quadriplegic and requiring 24/7 use of a ventilator.
Taylor's small house and bathroom make it impossible to use a traditional hoyer lift, and the family is forced to bathe him in a 40-gallon livestock feed trough. Taylor is expected to start human growth hormones to support his body through puberty, but without a ceiling track lift system, the risk of serious injury to him, his mom, or dad will increase significantly.
We’re helping this resilient family who have been dealing with this make the best of their situation by helping them install a ceiling mounted lift throughout their home.
How we helped Joseph
Multi-room ceiling mounted lift