NEW ORLEANS — Six-year-old Kohl was born with brain damage, and this weekend his family will hold their second ever fundraiser for pediatric brain damage so that families like theirs can get the support they need.
“It was devastating, and it’s been six years of a journey of finding the right treatment for him,” said Sarah Chrestman, Kohl’s mom.
On January 12, 2012, Kohl Henson Chrestman was born. During labor and delivery, Kohl suffered a brain injury called “hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy” or “HIE” for short. During his one-month stay at the neonatal intensive care unit immediately following his birth, this blog was born as a means to provide medical updates on Kohl to many caring friends and family.
Last year Sarah and Andy Chrestman decided to host a fundraiser, with the proceeds going to benefit Hope for HIE
“My wife and I started this event to help kids in the NOLA area like our son. We had a great time at Urban South last year and raised almost $14,000, with which we were pleasantly surprised since we are new to the fundraising game and basically have no idea what we are doing,” said Andy Chrestman.
This year the event with be a two part event: Friday, Aug. 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. at Urban South Brewery and Saturday, Aug. 19 from 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. at NOLA Brewing.
Urban South will be donating a dollar of ever beer sold to Hope for HIE.
About Hope for HIE:
Hope for HIE, the premier resource for families whose children have been diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), is a 501(c)3 non-profit registered with the IRS. We provide support, resources and outreach for families affected by HIE through an active online community, resources for medical professionals and multiple ways for families to connect. www.hopeforhie.org
The events are free and open to the public, and family friendly.
