This loan has been repaid in full!
First Posted On: January 19, 2009
Name: Joseph
Age: 5 years old
Diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Loan Sought: $1,500
Loan Needed For: Partial payment of 40 "dives" in a Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) chamber, overseen by Joseph's DAN! [Defeat Autism Now!] doctor, Koren Barrett, N.D.. The treatments will take place at the California Integrative Hyperbaric Center, where Dr. Barrett is on staff. (Note: The full amount the family needs is $3,000, but Joseph's family is only pursuing half of the amount via Lend4Health.)
Repayment Terms: 18 months (~ $83.33/month)
Other Notes: Joseph's mom, Renee, writes, "Our son Joseph is 5 years old. He was diagnosed [with autism] at four years old, as his pediatrician dismissed our concerns as being premature as most boys speak late. We always felt our son might be autistic but with the diagnosis we knew there was no more time to waste and it was full speed ahead. He has been receiving treatment from a DAN [Defeat Autism Now] doctor and has already made great improvement in his development. We believe and hope that if we continue on this path, we can make our son's life one where he will be able to compete with other children that don't have this condition and be able to take advantage of any opportunities that may come his way. We plan to move forward with HBOT which is obviously very expensive. Our family needs any and all assistance possible in this endeavor. We appreciate your help in making a difference in our son's life."
Reference Provided By: Julie L. of the California Integrative Hyperbaric Center
Joseph's Community of Lenders:
Petra: $10 ["In honor of Inauguration Day"]
Michelle: $20
Karen: $5
Jeanne: $10
Anonymous: $50 [For Jake]
Kristy: $20
Christine: $10
Tommie Lee: $1,200
Ian: $25
Petra (again): $10
Cathleen: $40
Patti: $5
Stacy: $95
UPDATES - UPDATES - UPDATES
January 30, 2009: Joseph's loan has been fully funded! :) Yippie! :)
January 31, 2009: Note from Joseph's mom, Renee: "I am completely overwhelmed with absolute joy that the loan was met in 11 days!! You are awesome!! Those that contributed are remarkable people and I would like to extend my gratitude to all of them for their joined efforts which paid off for my family!!"
February 1, 2009: Promissory note sent to Renee for signature.
February 5, 2009: Signed promissory note received.
February 5, 2009: At the request of Renee, I have written a check paid to the order of California Integrative Hyperbaric Center and will be sending it to Renee tomorrow.
February 10, 2009: Update from Renee: "I got the check today!! I want to thank all my lenders for helping our son Joseph receive his HBOT treatments. It's been a blessing to have strangers be a great part of my son's recovery. It's one day at a time and we must remember that it is not a race but a marathon. I will keep my lenders posted on Joe's status as we go through the treatments. So until then, lets keep the generosity going for our children!!"
March 8, 2009: Update from Renee: "We will see our DAN doctor on April 20th, at which point we will have results from new urine panel. He is currently receiving B12 shots and will be ongoing until our next visit. He also is still taking Nystatin for Candida, and Oregano oil for a bacteria twice a day. Joe will start the HBOT following our next appointment. As you know the loan has already pre-paid for 20 dives. (yea!!) We are excited to see how well he responds to the B12 shots, so far we immediately see an increase in hyperactivity! This is considered a tolerant side effect which means it's working. Needless to say we are very pleased with Joe's progress and once the HBOT starts I will be communicating his status!! Take Care and keep up the Great work!!!"
March 13, 2009: First repayment installment of $83.33 received (2 days early).
April 9, 2009: Second repayment installment of $83.33 received (6 days early).
April 30, 2009: Update from Renee: "Hello to all my lenders! Joseph has been currently receiving B12 shots with folinic acid for two months and has made very big strides forward! He is transitioning with little or no problems. He is allowing mommy to leave the house and have some me time without crying. Joe is answering some questions and paying attention to direction at first or second request. It used to be where he looked at us either confused or just simply did not understand, but now he is responding with the understanding. He tells mommy, daddy, and grandparents that he loves us! Its been amazing....The downside is we have not seen a change in the hyperactivity, still sleeping very late in the night and some sensory issues, ie: licking of his hands or pulling on his ears. (not too concerned with sensory, much more in the hyperactivity.) We have our next consultation with Dr. Barrett on the 8th so we can discuss our concerns, and move forward with are next treatment. (HBOT) Thank you all for your generosity and for blessing our family!! We will keep you all posted!!"
May 9, 2009: Third repayment installment of $83.33 received (6 days early).
June 13, 2009: Fourth repayment installment of $83.33 received (2 days early).
June 26, 2009: Update from Renee:To My All Lenders,
It's been some time since I have written on Joe's progress, my apologies! Joe has just finished his 29th [hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)] dive and what a ride thus far. Joe's first day was better then expected, but his initial reaction was fear, as far as he could tell this was not going to be fun! Nonetheless he went into the chamber without the helmet, but it was only his second dive where he then allowed us to put his helmet over his head. He now refers to HBOT as 'the rocket ship' as he anxiously awaits for us to take him.
It appeared after his first few treatments that he had become a bit emotional, and sensitive but very much a temporary side effect. Joe enjoys watching the CARS video and Teach to Talk while in the chamber for one hour. We did not see anything different in Joe up until the 23rd dive. The positive changes are as follows; asking, "where" questions, 3 or 4 word sentences, improved gross motor skills, a huge increase in pretend play and often engaging us in play. On June 13 he asked, "Where is Daddy?" You can imagine my excitement as he never had said this before HBOT. On June 14 he was needling Sangria (our dog) and after asking him to stop numerous times, I finally said "Joe what did I just ask you to do?" He immediately said, "Stop and leave the dog alone." Once my heart stopped beating at a rate that was not normal, I knew this was another breakthrough!
Today we were half-way done with our treatment and suddenly I heard him ask his toys what their favorite food was, and then him answering hot dogs and turkey!! I silently screamed with tears of joy suddenly rolling down my face. I was thanking God for letting me see his hand on my son. His mercy and grace have been my strength and my faith continues to lead me on this journey. I do believe in miracles and in Joe's recovery!!
We have been diving at a pressure of 1.5 and have just requested Joe's dives to be increased to 1.75 which will begin next week. My deep-felt gratitude to all of you who are the major reason we were able to get a jump-start on the HBO treatments. It has not been easy, but with caring people such as yourselves it has certainly lightened the load! I am praying for all of our children and hope one day my experience can help another stranger. This fight is worth fighting and we can never give up on this until we believe that autism is treatable and recovery is happening!
Take Care and God Bless!
Joseph's Family......
July 15, 2009: 5th repayment installment of $83.33 received (on-time).
August 14, 2009: 6th repayment installment of $83.33 received, early.
August 15, 2009: Update from Renee: "Joe is doing well. The yeast problem has reared its ugly head up, and we are currently treating Joe with Diflucan. We are waiting for some blood work and results of his heavy metal testing which was sent to France. We have a follow up appointment with his doctor on the 31st. One day at a time, but I remain hopeful for our Joey! Enjoy the new pictures....."
September 15, 2009: 7th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
October 15, 2009: 8th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
November 14, 2009: 9th repayment installment of $83.33 received, early.
December 15, 2009: 10th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
January 15, 2010: 11th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
February 13, 2010: 12th repayment installment of $83.33 received, early.
March 15, 2010: 13th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
April 15, 2010: 14th repayment installment of $83.33 received, on-time.
May 14, 2010: 15th repayment installment of $83.33 received, early.
June 25, 2010: 16th repayment installment of $83.33 received, late.
July 13, 2010: Note from Renee: "I will not be able to make our last two payments on the scheduled date. Unfortunately, we have had some financial set backs. I will definitely make the July & August payment on the 23rd. I apologize for this delay as it was not anticipated. Thank You, and my lenders for your understanding."
July 23, 2010: 17th repayment installment of $83.33 received, late.
August 31, 2010: 18th and final repayment installment of $83.39 received, late (due August 15).
August 31, 2010: This loan has been repaid in full!
September 5, 2010: Thank you note from Renee: "Hello to Our Extended Family! It's been a very long journey, and we continue to move forward with our son Joe. I still remember the day Tori called with the great news, "Joe's loan has been met." I still get emotional when I reflect on that day. You all are a major part of our son's life. You gave him the opportunity to receive HBOT when there was really no other viable alternative. I think the most touching part of this miracle was it came from complete strangers who felt compelled to extend their money to help our child. I write this now with tears because I could never find enough words to express how thankful we are to all of you. Joe still has a way to go, but we will never stop believing in his recovery. He is currently battling a yeast infection, and once he finishes a round of ketaconazole his DAN doctor will finally start addressing his heavy metals. We found out a few months ago how he is allergic to rice and broccoli, which were his two favorite things to eat. Needless to say we are much more limited in his diet, which makes it more difficult. I am homeschooling Joe, and he graduated from Kindergarten this summer. His dad and I are very proud of him! We just started first grade and his strong areas are reading and writing, but still needs to improve in his speech and overall focus. Joe continues to need direction with his language, but has made leaps and bounds from when we first started Kindergarten. We are hopeful with each new day that God will take care of what we can't do for him. It's our faith that strengthens us through the tough times. Once again we thank you all for your trust and help, as we will never forget!"
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