Medical bill assistance necessary to save Wally’s life

Everything was normal for the first few months of Wally’s life. But over the holidays he began experiencing several different infections, including ear and kidney infections accompanied by a cough and low oxygen levels. To make things worse, on top of it all severe pneumonia came into the equation. The St. Cloud Hospital was able to restore his levels back to normal for a bit, but after things got worse, the trip back to the hospital took them to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.

There, he was diagnosed with Hyper-IgM Syndrome, an incredibly rare condition that essentially leaves Wally without a working immune system. He is just the third baby in six years to receive this diagnosis at Children’s. Because of his condition, besides the medical professionals caring for him, Wally is only able to see his parents and grandmother, ATS Corporate employee, Patty S. Wally’s only chance of survival is receiving a bone marrow transplant.

The good news is a 100 percent match was found in a 34-year-old man from Europe, according to Patty. The bad news is bills continue to pile up for Wally’s family. The genetic testing alone to find a match was more than $50,000, Patty said. Wally will likely have to stay in the hospital for at least another six months and it will still be touch and go for a year or more after that.

The Anderson family stepped in after hearing Wally’s story. They collected doctor bills from Patty and helped pay for some.

Having only worked for ATS about a year, Patty was brought to tears by the support her family received.

“I was beyond words,” Patty said. “It was amazing.”

Providing relief to those impacted by Hurricane Maria

Thank you for the hurricane relief sent to me by ATS, but also for the emotional support I’ve received from each of you after the destructive path of Hurricane Maria came through the Island of Puerto Rico. Once again, ATS has demonstrated that it cares for their employees and makes us feel that we are part of a big family even though we are far away. I’m proud to be part of a company that has high core values and cares for the well-being of their employees. After Hurricane Maria, my life is not the same: no water, no electricity, no internet (in my house), no cable TV and a very weak signal on my cellular phone. One the other hand, I definitely appreciate all the blessings that God gives us every day; I am able to celebrate each new leaf on the trees, the sunrises and the stars.

It is such a blessing to have a job with a company that is helping PR move all the necessary materials to rebuild the island. I can see this blessing from my office every work day as the company’s values are in action through its workers: Integrity, Determination, Responsibility, Innovation and Excellence. These are my values too, as I step out of this situation and contribute to the new beginning of PR.

Once again, thank you for your support and for holding us during the difficult situation.

God bless you all!

– Mirza M.