Augustus Zittritsch

Family and friends of Augustus Zittritsch are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Illness.

Augustus has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

In October of 2019 routine mid-term pregnancy scans showed one third of Augustus’s brain was missing; mid-line structures known as the Corpus Callosum and Septum Pellucidum. Three weeks later follow-up imaging also found all of his brain structures were significantly reduced; he was diagnosed with severe microcephaly and cerebellum hypoplasia. Gus entered the world with a squeak on March 2, 2020 and spent the next thirty-two days in NICU undergoing physical evaluations and assessments, genetic testing, and treatment.

Those four weeks culminated in a terminal diagnosis of Lissencephaly with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) and Severe Congenital Microcephaly. Lissencephaly refers to his brain texture–namely that it is smooth and does not have a significant number of folds. AMC identifies that his muscles and tendons are contracted in multiple areas of his body, and Microcephaly describes the underdevelopment of his brain in relation to his age. The “why” of his conditions are unknown. Genetic evaluations have found one suspect de-novo mutation on his genome that has neurological implications, but he is the first and only documented individual in international databases with his particular variation.

We have joined HelpHopeLive to aid in covering the costs of necessary equipment and expenses associated with his care. Funds donated through HelpHopeLive can be used for therapy, therapy equipment, travel expenses associated with his medical care, in-hospital expenses, and more.

To date our biggest and most costly unmet need is a wheelchair accessible vehicle to transport Gus to and from school, medical appointments, and therapy. Any additional funds raised and unused will be allowed to remain in his account for future use. If those monies go unused they will contribute towards regional fundraising efforts. We have added a video link above–produced by Vantage Mobility International (VMI)– to show you all that goes into a van conversion. More information regarding the cost, our “why”, and general questions will be answered in subsequent updates.

Thank you for your time and support!