Donations at Storm Games to Help Pay Child's Medical Bills

Shoes donated at Lake Elsinore Storm baseball games this weekend will guarantee fans free or discounted tickets and funds raised will benefit a 6-month-old's Kawasaki's Disease treatment and medical bills.

Menifee residents Gina and Michael O'Neil's son Carson was diagnosed with Kawasaki's Disease on May 18 when he was only 3 months old. The disease is a rare condition in children that causes blood vessels to become inflammed.

Because KD is such a rare disease, Carson was first diagnosed with symptoms of allergies and was given steroids and antibiotics. His KD symptoms only got worse from there.

Through his parents' own research, it was discovered Carson had symptoms in line with KD.

Although Carson's pediatrician and other doctors disregarded his parents' claims of KD, Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego finally ran tests and diagnosed Carson with the disease.

Unfortunately, the late diagnosis led to permanent damage to Carson's heart.

Carson now has two large anuerysms inside the arteries of his heart. For treatment, Carson requires blood thinning injections twice a day along with four other daily medications.

Gina's sister April Patterson has set up a donation page to help with medical expenses, called "Carson's Cause." The fundraising website aims for a goal of $10,000 in donations.

Gina and Michael are also collecting used shoes any style or size to be donated to needy families around the world. For every pound of shoes they collect, Carson's Cause receives 40 cents and Cash4Shooz ensures the shoes go to a third world country in need of shoes.