After being profiled in the New York Daily News the family of a 1-year-old boy from New York's Upper West Side, who suffers from an extremely rare genetic disorder, received an outpouring of support and thousands of dollars in donations. However, they are still far from being able to pay for the treatment he needs.
Idan Zablocki who turned 1 in June has Hyper-IgM Syndrome, a disorder that has essentially rendered his immune system non-existent, leaving him incapable of fighting off infections. At this time, there is no cure for the disorder, which has necessitated that his parents Amanda and Akiva, seek a treatment plan that will at least allow their son to live a somewhat normal life.
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The Zablockis were able to find just such a treatment plan, but the doctors who specialize in treating Idan's condition are located at a hospital in Seattle — one that is not a part of their insurance company's network — meaning they could need as much as $1 million to pay for it.
So far, they have received $133,000 in donations to go towards the chemotherapy and subsequent bone marrow transplant that will allow his body to fight infection normally. They are exceedingly thankful though obviously, still have a long way to go. They spend hours every day working with insurance companies and healthcare providers in an attempt to make some headway toward starting Idan's treatment plan. All the while taking joy out of the fact that their son is happy as can be and largely oblivious to their struggles.
I'm sure that through their steadfast devotion to helping their son become healthy, and with the kindness and generosity of others, the Zablockis will be able to achieve their goals for Idan. I'm happy to say that for every story of terror and evil that we see in the news, there are stories like Idan's that have the power to restore our faith in society.
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