Over the course of his short life, Ari Schultz has constantly battled a life threatening condition. A Critical Aortic Stenosis was detected during an ultrasound and he was the first person ever to undergo two successful heart surgeries before he was born. Ari has had endured 20 surgeries and spent more than 400 nights in the hospital. Today, he still lives with congestive heart failure.
Earlier this year, Ari suffered a cardiac arrest and was placed on life support at Boston Children’s Hospital. His family moved into an apartment near the hospital to be close to Ari during the harrowing days that followed. During this strenuous time, the Schultz family received news that mold was growing in the walls, floors, and ceilings in their family home. Insurance covers mold mitigation (that you can find), but it does not cover the causes of leaks and structural fixes. The contractor deemed they had a “sick house” and the only choice was to tear it down and rebuild from scratch.
Needless to say a life-threatening illness of a young child is an enormous emotional and financial challenge. But then add the situation with their home to the fray and the challenge the family is facing has reached an incomprehensible level.
Thankfully, the Schultz family has a good health plan and secondary insurance that covers a lot of Ari’s medical bills. However, expenses associated with day-to-day care are astronomical, especially considering the situation with their home and the fact Ari’s mom Erica had to leave her job to help care for him.
Ari’s story has garnered national attention and there was a really sweet video that went viral earlier this month when Ari received clearance from his doctors to go home:
To see how HSF can help make a difference during this challenging time, we connected with Ari’s parents, Mike and Erica Schultz to discuss their current and future out-of-pocket expenses affiliated with Ari’s care. Together, we identified the following, targeted opportunities for HSF and our incredible network of donors to support:
TRANSPORTATION
Twice per week, Ari and the family pack-up and head into Boston for scheduled clinic visits during which Ari receives two infusions lasting 6 hours total. Each roundtrip visit to the hospital costs approximately $50 including gas, parking, tolls, and food.
To make a donation and cover a hospital trip for Ari, please click the following link:
Transportation Support
CLEANING
Ari requires a high-level of daily care. Once Ari left the hospital, the responsibility for that care transitioned from a team of doctors and nurses to his parents, Mike and Erica. In addition to taking care of their two other small children, Mike and Erica have to administer Ari’s 23 medications, constantly monitor his overall health, and ensure the house remains exceptionally clean. Living in a clean environment is crucial for Ari since he technically has congestive heart failure and remains highly susceptible to illness.
Additional cleaning support for the Schultz family costs $80 per week out-of-pocket. To make a donation and help maintain the cleanly environment necessary support Ari’s health and recovery, please click the following button:
Cleaning Support
Thank you for taking time to learn more about Ari. Please consider sharing this message with contacts in your network and making a donation today!
-HSF