Meet ASHTON!

Ashton is a First Responder, Paw Patrol loving three year old whose life was recently turned upside down.

Late October 2020, Veronica, Ashtons mom, noticed he seemed to be having some swelling episodes. In the beginning she thought it was his old allergies coming back in to play, or maybe a new one developing. 

November 6th the swelling was back and worse.  After being unable to get the swelling to go down, and Ashton being very uncomfortable, Veronica made a last minute emergency appointment with his pediatrician. That’s when everything changed.

On November 7th, 2020 it was confirmed that Ashton was suffering from Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome. Nephrotic Syndrome means his kidneys weren’t working properly and they were allowing all of his healthy protein and fluids to flush out of his blood stream with the waste. He was admitted to USA Childrens in Mobile, Alabama shortly after and then transferred via Ambulance to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham to see a Pediatric Nephrotic Specialist.

After weeks on high dose steroids and specialty diet restrictions, Ashton was getting no relief, and quickly getting worse. 

The week before Christmas, Ashton underwent a biopsy for further diagnosis. Those results indicated that Ashton has Immunoglobulin M Nephropathy (IgMN), a rare kidney disease that falls in between the two most common versions of Nephrotic Syndrome. IgMN is an autoimmune kidney disease where your B cells get lodged in the filters of your kidney causing them to swell and allowing your proteins, fluids, and blood to spill out. 

Ashton has been hospitalized multiple times since his original diagnosis in November and Doctors are working on determining what medicine will work best to hopefully get him into remission. Remission can take years or may not ever happen. If he does go into remission, something as simple as a cold or ear infection can throw his body out of it. 

Most currently the doctors have noticed that Ashton also presents quite a few of the attributes of  Complement 3 Glomerulopathy (C3G), an extremely rare kidney disease that 50% of the time leads to kidney failure. They are currently working on a plan of action for further testing to determine if he is suffering from both IgMN and C3G or not. 

While helping her son fight this disease the last few months, and going forward, Veronica has to travel with him four hours one way to Birmingham for appointments and hospitalizations all while she is recovering from her own injury that resulted in surgery and Ashton's Dad, Joe, is on Active Duty away from home.  

If you would like to support Ashtons Journey and be a part of #TeamAshton please take a look at the Ashton's Apparel section and rock a #HisFightisMyFight shirt. All fundraiser proceeds will go directly to Ashton's care and needs while fighting this fight. 

CONTACT US TO ORDER: THIS FUNDRAISER IS CLOSED BUT WE STILL HAVE A FEW THINGS AVAILABLE.