Kim Tucker and her six-year-old son Gage Daoust are in the fight of their lives as the boy's leukodystrophy is slowly destroying his brain.
“I would give anything to hear my boy again and hold him and tell him it's all going to be OK but I can't,” said Tucker. “Gage is fighting for his little life and we are thankful for everyone that is praying for him.”
Born with muscular dystrophy, Gage was admitted to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton for surgery on his heel cord to increase his mobility on April 10. After being released the following day, the family was back in the hospital four hours later.
“Gage had a grand mal seizure on April 11, slipped into a coma and has not come out of it since then. He also has breathing tubes attached to him,” said Tucker, conceding her son does not have long to live. “Doctors seem to think he may have a terminal condition, leukodystrophy, which is a disintegration of white brain matter, but they do not know for sure yet.”
Tucker said a CT scan on April 14 showed his brain was bleeding, and added that surgery is suspected of triggering Gage's seizure and coma.
“Doctors have estimated that Gage has lost 75 per cent of his white brain matter,” said Tucker. “He is breathing on his own OK, but the breathing tube just makes it easier. Once doctors remove the tube, he will likely ‘posture' and his muscles will tense up which means he may not be able to breathe.”
Tucker said before surgery, her son's brain health was good but his condition has since gone downhill quickly.
“If doctors remove the breathing tube on April 25, then we will have to make some tough decisions,” said the worried mother. “All we can do is wait.”
Kristen Spatz, night manager of the Fox and Hound, has started a Facebook fundraiser, which can be found at www.gofundme.com/8d9sjk, with a goal of $10,000 to help the Tucker family.
“To date, we have raised $4,000 from people with donations coming in daily,” said Spatz. “I have known Kim and her family for a long time and cannot imagine what it would be like to be in her situation. She said Tucker, who moved to Red Deer in 2004, still has many close connections to Innisfail and the surrounding area.
Spatz will also be hosting a silent auction fundraiser at the Fox and Hound starting May 19. It will then run for one week. She added the Fox will accept cash donations on behalf of the Tucker family. Donations of silent auction items or bids on items will be displayed onstage at the Fox.
Tucker has two other children, Brendan, 11, and five-year-old Kylee.
For further information contact Spatz at the Fox and Hound at 403-227-2333.
