In Support of Chandler Reliford
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Our son Chandler got sick in June. He was bitten by a tick and contracted Powassan virus, which caused encephalitis (swelling of the brain). This led to seizures and paralysis from the neck down.
Chandler will be coming home with home health support and a ventilator, and we want to give him the best life possible—including the ability to go outside and travel when needed. We live up a flight of stairs, which will be challenging to navigate without the right equipment.
We are now exploring accessibility options for our home to accommodate Chandler. We are also seeking therapies to help him recover from his injury and address the brain swelling caused by encephalitis.
These modifications and therapies are not covered by insurance and are very costly. Home modifications range from $5,000 to $20,000, and therapies start at $14,000 and up.
We are asking friends, family, and colleagues to consider supporting Chandler on this journey. As any parents would, we want him to have as much of his life back as possible.
Please share this update and follow Chandler’s journey here. We will post regular updates on his progress as we do everything we can to give him access to the world around him and healing for his body.
Updates
Keep up to date as needs change.
Apr 04, 2026
One Week Home
We have officially been home for 1 week and Chandler is doing good!...
Mar 29, 2026
Welcome Home 🏠
Chandler is finally home sweet home. He had a little bit of a rough...
Mar 24, 2026
Discharge information
The plan is to discharge Chandler this Thursday and he will be tran...
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- Created Feb 23, 2026
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