In Support of Kai Reyna

Fighting for Kai's Future 💙

Hi, we're Dustin, Tawny, Kai and Kaysha. Thank you so much for being here.

Kai is 4 years old. He was born at 25 weeks and 6 days, weighing just 2 pounds, 2 ounces. Before he ever came home, he survived three brain bleeds, a collapsed lung, medical NEC, weeks on a ventilator, 116 days in the NICU and multiple surgeries. He was later diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which affects his whole body.

But if you met Kai, that's not the first thing you'd notice. You'd notice his ear-to-ear smile and the way it lights up a room. You'd see how hard he tries every single day at things most kids never have to think about. Sitting up, crawling, taking steps in his walker, talking with us. Every bit of it was earned through countless hours of therapy.

Where we are now
This year Kai had double hip surgery on both sides. It was aggressive, but it was necessary to give him the best chance at walking and to avoid worse surgeries down the road. Afterward he spent weeks in a full body cast, unable to move from the chest down or practice anything he'd learned. Recovery meant a lot of regression and a big mountain to climb just to get back to where he was. Now that surgery is behind us and we can travel again, our focus is helping him rebuild and keep moving forward.

Our 16-month window
Kai is still in what we believe is a critical window for his brain to form new connections. In about 16 months he turns 6, and from what we've learned, that's around the time neuroplasticity starts to slow down. So we're doing everything we can in the time we have. This is the clock we're racing, and it's why we're stacking the right therapies now instead of later.

Our next step: Arizona
At the end of November, we're heading to Arizona for a week of stem cell treatment for Kai. Right after that, we're following up with multiple intensive therapies to make sure we capitalize on everything the stem cells can do for him.

What we're pursuing for Kai
Not one of these is covered by insurance.
- Stem cell treatments: multiple stem cell treatments, including Muse cells and DeWaza, one of the options we're most hopeful about for kids like Kai.
- Cytotron treatment in Mexico: a month-long neurological treatment that aims to support brain connectivity and new neural pathways.
- An intensive therapy program in Texas, focused on rebuilding motor control and movement.
- A 3-week Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) intensive, which we're working to pair with a Duke University clinical study.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other intensive neurological and rehab therapies as opportunities come up.
- A vibration therapy unit for daily at-home treatment during recovery.
- A safe specialty bed. Kai has outgrown his crib and can't use a normal bed for a kid his age.
- The Trexo exoskeleton. The Trexo Theo was just cleared by the FDA, with deliveries expected in 2027. It's a wearable device that helps kids with cerebral palsy take steps. We're looking into that and talking with Kai's care team about what it could mean for him.

Some of these treatments start around $5,000–$8,000, and others like Cytotron reach $35,000 or more, often before travel and lodging. The full plan we've mapped out runs well past $100,000. We've set our goal here at $75,000, and every gift moves Kai one step closer.

An adaptable van
As Kai gets better with his manual wheelchair, we're looking into an adaptable van. He's getting heavier, and a safe option would run $70,000–$95,000. Therapies are still our top priority above everything else.

How you can help
- Give any amount. It truly matters more than you know.
- Tap FOLLOW so you get our updates by email.
- Share Kai's page. The right person seeing it at the right time can change everything.
- And if all you can do is pray for our boy, we'll take every single one.

This isn't about extras. It's about protecting what Kai has already earned and giving him every chance to keep growing. We've fought for this kid every single day since he was born, and we always will. We just can't do this part alone.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for loving our son.

With love,
Dustin, Tawny, Kai & Kaysha 💙