Relief for baby Raylea

The common cold can be tough to handle for most people, but for infant Raylea Hamilton of Gladstone a common cold can mean death.

Raylea Hamilton was born to Harvey and Nicolette Hamilton of Gladstone on November 5th. At just ten days old blood tests revealed she has a rare disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

“She comes from a big family so it didn’t take long for us to jump into action. Harvey and Nicolette are like the ideal couple, high school sweethearts, good jobs, bought a house, and decided to go have a baby. They don’t ask for help very often so we just jumped into action and are hoping to help them out as much as we can. They say it takes a village to raise a child and that is pretty much what’s happening,” said her aunt Michelle Aho.

In other words, now one-month old Raylea has no working immune system. She is being held at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, in Grand Rapids, currently awaiting a bone morrow transplant due to the disease.

A benefit was held for her yesterday where twenty–percent of proceeds went to help offset the family’s costs.

“We are trying to offset medical expenses, travel expenses for my brother Harvey who is travelling every weekend down to Grand Rapids. Then every Sunday he drives back up to Escanaba where he currently works on the railroad, and we’re also helping with housing expenses and stuff like that,” added Aho.

There will also be an event on January twentieth in Gladstone in the form of a spaghetti dinner. The family is still looking for donations from local businesses that can help and are asked to contact Michelle Aho at 9063613208.