Andre was a previously healthy and vibrant three-year-old boy who enjoyed playing basketball, baseball, watching Stephen Curry, and watching Paw Patrol until he caught the flu and it caused swelling on his brain causing him to develop Acute Necrotizing Encephalapthy which is very rare. Andre is one of the first African American cases of this nasty disease caused from the influenza virus. This disease has a very high mortality rate only 30% of people survive and were blessed to say Andre is part of the 30%!!!
Andre spent 11 days in Valley Children's PICU and two months in rehab. Due to his illness, Andre can't eat food by mouth and has a G-tube. He is also unable to walk and almost completely non-ambulatory so his family has to lift him and his wheel chair in and out of the car EVERYDAY, multiple times a day -- and they have multiple appointments each week.
Andre's family was attempting to raise money to get a wheelchair accessible van, so that they did not have to lift Andre in and out of the car. Andre weighs 50 plus pounds and a wheelchair-accessible van would take a real load off of the family and help make things more accessible when transporting him. Muriel’s Angeles stepped in and provide Andre and his family with the needed wheelchair accessible van.