ANGELO SINRAM-GIUSTINO

Resilient family needs gas cards to reach doctor’s

By ALLISON ROSS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Most days, Angelo Sinram-Giustino is like any other inquisitive, active 7-year-old boy.

It’s hard to notice the tremors in his hands that are a byproduct of his hydrocephalus, a condition known as “water on the brain.” Looking at him, there’s no way to tell he didn’t learn to walk until he was 4.

Like many kids his age, he loves kickball and searching for lizards or creating colorful drawings to stick on the family’s refrigerator. But he doesn’t mind playing dolls with his 3-year-old sister, Victoria. He’s the kind of kid who is so close with his brother, Giovanni, 9, that the two sleep in the same bedroom despite having separate rooms.

So his mother, Stacey Sinram, began to worry when she noticed Angelo began acting aggressive and ill-tempered last May.

A trip to Angelo’s neurosurgeon in Orlando confirmed it: The shunt in his head that was supposed to drain excess fluid had malfunctioned and a new shunt was needed.

“I guess we knew it was a possibility that he would need a new shunt or that some problem would come up,” says Stacey, whose son was diagnosed when he was 15 months old, “but all those years, we got comfortable.”

The complication couldn’t have come at a worse time for the family of five. Stacey’s husband, a woodworker, has been struggling to find work.

“I’ve always had a stable job,” Dale Giustino said. “Now it’s all different. The housing market has collapsed. Everything’s falling apart.”

Angelo’s medical procedures are covered by insurance, but because his neurosurgeon is in Orlando, the family has to scrape together money for travel expenses. Sometimes they can stay at the Ronald McDonald House, but other times they have to pay for a hotel.

The family cannot afford to pay rent on their Jensen Beach home. Dale’s mother, who owns the house, tried to keep up with mortgage payments, but the house is now in early stages of foreclosure.

Stacey is also looking for work, but she’s had no luck.

“Stacey’s such a strong advocate for her family and for her son,” said Diane Tomasik of House of Hope, which has helped the family twice pay their electricity bills. “They’re resilient, and they’ll do what they need to in order to keep their son well and keep their heads above water.”

ANGELO SINRAM-GIUSTINO’S WISH

Angelo Sinram-Giustino, age 7, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus — “water on the brain” — when he was 15 months old. This June, the shunt in his brain used to drain the excessive fluid malfunctioned, and a new one had to be inserted. His family has to drive to Orlando regularly to see Angelo’s doctor, but money is tight because his parents are struggling to find enough money to support their family of five.

Angelo and his siblings have outgrown their clothes and could use new ones. He could also use a new bed, for he has outgrown his old one. The family would greatly benefit from gas cards to help pay travel expenses to Orlando, where Angelo’s neurosurgeon is based, and new tires for their 2000 Ford Expedition. They could also use gift cards for groceries and a computer for the children to use for schoolwork.