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Team Athan's Journey

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We never wanted to make this campaign - in fact, we never thought we would ever need to - but we’re in a situation where we can’t see a way out and so now we are turning to our friends, family, and kind strangers for help.

Our son is Athan Palazzo. Athan means eternal life. He is certainly full of it! Energetic. Kind. Sweet. He’s everything you’d want in a young boy.

Unfortunately, when he was two years old he received a diagnosis that shaped our lives: Autism & Autoimmune Dysfunction.

Athan has a severe case of it which already means an impediment for his future - challenges we were ready to face head-on - but we could not have imagined what came next.

Athan has an autoimmune dysfunction. It’s a bit technical but in short, it causes what we have come to call ‘flares.’

Even a common illness like a cold or flu can cause a ‘flare,’ meaning his immune system goes haywire. Endless crying. Erratic pacing. Obsessive-compulsive routines.

Our son disappears before our very eyes. In an instant, that loving, friendly boy is replaced with the frustration and pain of his condition ravaging his body. It is heartbreaking.

We have been battling this for the last five years, but even after all the doctor appointments and tests it feels as if we are no closer to finding a working system that Athan can thrive in.

Then, by god’s grace, we came across a group of doctors in Austin who agreed to take on the case.

Inspired by the research of world-renowned neurologist Dr. Robert Melillo, the Austin Center for Developing Minds is having breakthrough success stories using cutting-edge technology where other typical methods have failed.

They examined him physically and mentally, plus they did comprehensive lab testing. We couldn't believe it! And the result? They said they could help him.

Finally, someone listened to us and had faith in us. Now Athan has a real shot of living with his condition in a way that it doesn’t stop him from being, well, him.

However, as you can imagine, all those medicines and treatments and frequent meets-up come with a cost. This is America after all. And unfortunately, we were not ready for the fees, especially for a full-time career. We’ve even done a full breakdown of the costs for you to see and let us tell you, it adds up fast.

He turns 7 soon but is still in diapers and unable to talk, unable to communicate basic needs or discomfort, but if we can afford these cutting-edge therapies, then overcoming these obstacles becomes a real possibility,

That’s why we are reaching out to ask for help in covering Athan’s medical fees.

We realize that we are asking for a lot but we’re not asking anyone to ruin themselves financially. We’re just asking that you pledge something towards our cause. Just something. Anything.

A couple of dollars really will go far in helping us reach our goal.

And if you can share Athan’s story with other people, we have a bigger chance of finally getting him the help he needs.

It will prove that someone out there really cares about Athan and believes in him.

So thank you for reading. God bless.








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Donations 

  • Tifany Hallum
    • $20 
    • 6 mos
  • Alison Bowen
    • $25 
    • 10 mos
  • Jennifer Benedic
    • $20 
    • 1 yr
  • Jessica Powell
    • $25 
    • 1 yr
  • Violeta Nuñez
    • $20 
    • 1 yr
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Organizer

Justin Palazzo
Organizer
Spring, TX

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