Benefit Breakfast for Baby Amos Hertzler
Amos Hertzler is a one-year-old Amish boy who was born with a rare esophageal condition. His story came to public attention last October as his parents were having difficulties raising the funds for the expensive procedure Amos needed. Thankfully, Amos has since had his surgery and now the family is trying to pay off the remaining $60,000 in debt (having already covered $175,000).
Last Saturday a benefit breakfast was held for Amos, and Tom attended. He shares some photos from the day, which looks like it turned out pretty well.
Breakfast starts early and may even turn into brunch.
The Otto Volunteer Fire Company in Cattaraugus County, New York.
Amos’ uncle Noah said in advance of the event: “It will be all you can eat, for whatever you want to pay…All proceeds will go toward Amos’ hospital bill.”
Note the healthy choice of beverage.
Where you decide how much your meal costs.
There was something for the baked goods lovers too.
Outside the event.
Horses choose from a different breakfast menu.
Donations are still being accepted at The Hertzler Hospital Fund for Amos’ care. The details: Cattaraugus County Bank, P.O. Box 227, Little Valley, NY 14755-0227; bank phone number: (800) 882-9903. Thanks to Tom for this and all the other good reporting out of NY lately.
Update on baby Amos Hertzler (Nov. 26, 2012)
There’s an update out on Amos Hertzler, an Amish boy born with a rare esophageal condition which required him to be fed through a tube.
Unfortunately two-year-old Amos has suffered complications recently, according to a story in The Buffalo News (kudos to Tom for passing it along):
“Little Amos isn’t doing so good just now,” said Noah Hertzler, his uncle.
His esophagus, which had been stretched and attached to his stomach by doctors earlier this year, developed “weak spots” and had to be connected over again, said Hertzler, who lives near his brother Aaron, Amos’ father, in Mansfield Township, Cattaraugus County.
…
“Since the last operation, he hasn’t been doing as well as he should,” Hertzler said. “He’s not gaining like he should. He usually snaps right out. This time, he’s not.”
“You never know what to expect with an operation like that,” Hertzler added. “The doctors did as well as they could.”
Amos has a number of other conditions including Down’s syndrome. His parents, members of one of the most conservative Amish groups, have spent much of the last year with him in Boston, where he is being treated. Amos’ father has apparently found some carpentry work in Boston to help make ends meet. Meanwhile their other son has remained behind with family in New York.
The Amish community held another benefit breakfast this past weekend to defray the costs of Amos’ care. The Buffalo News also reports that a fund for Amos has been set up at Cattaraugus County Bank (800-882-9903).
Update #2: Baby Amos heading home after 15 months (April 5, 2013)
Amos Hertzler is an Amish child born with a rare esophageal defect. We’ve followed his story since it became public in 2011, mostly through news coverage and some reader reports.
The Buffalo News is reporting that Amos is returning home after 15 months in a Boston hospital:
But, Amos’ treatment for a rare esophagus problem did not work out as his family and doctors had hoped.
The Buffalo News has been chronicling his case for more than a year, and many people from the wider community have responded to his story.
Amos’ esophagus was not successfully attached in Boston, his family told The News this week.
“They weren’t able to do what they wanted to do,” said Aaron Hertzler, Amos’ father, who spoke to The News by phone from Boston, as the family prepared to bring Amos home.
“It didn’t work out quite well. It kept leaking. They had to redo it, and it leaked again.”
Aaron Hertzler said his son will come home with a feeding tube, like the one he had before he went to Boston.
Amos will also be on oxygen to breathe, at least for a while, the family said.
Amos’ family and western New York Amish community have held benefits in the past to help defray his high medical expenses, such as a benefit breakfast held at a fire company in Cattaraugus County. Another is scheduled for tomorrow:
Now, the Amish community in Western New York will hold another benefit for Amos, from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Otto Fire Hall.
A full Amish breakfast will be served, and donations will be accepted for Amos’ continuing care.
“People have helped us so much,” Aaron Hertzler said. “We are very thankful.”
Below is a photo showing the menu from a previous benefit for Amos, taken by reader Tom. If you’re in the area, you might enjoy this event and have a chance to help the cause.
Greetings,
Thanks Tom, you are doing an awesome job with pictures and stories!! It is always a blessing to me to see a community come together to help each other whether it be Amish or not. I am praying for little Amos and his family. Thanks also for the info on where to donate.
That looks like a pretty darn good breakfast for donations only!!
Blessings, Alice
Wish that Amish group lived closer to me. I would have gone to support that family. I hope they get all the funds needed to pay off their medical debt.
I will pass around the information about the collection of funds and hopefully be able to help this family from where I live. I understand the need for help with things like this. We had $90,000in medical bills 4 years ago due to a fall my husband had, and several surgeries in a week. We had no insurance, had he had been laid off two months prior to the accident. If Tom could pass along to the Amish that if they contact the hospital and other people that assisted in their son’s surgery, that they could work out with the hospital, etc. to reduce the medical cost.
I was able to reduce the hospital bill from $50,000 to $150 just by talking to them and letting them know we had no insurance at the time. I hope this helps the family out some.
Amos Hertzler Breakfast
I agree with Lee Ann, If they lived closer I’d go & support the family too!!
Thanks, Tom, for keeping us informed about this little one. I have been praying for Amos since I learned about his troubles last fall.
I know the family has to feel blessed by so many helping them. And everyone responding to their need is blessed, too!
What great pictures! Like the others said, it’s so good to see a group come together to help someone out. Taking donations is a great idea for the food. Any time we’ve done donations for things over a set price, we’ve come out much better financially, and seeing as this was for such a great cause, that was a wonderful idea. Also thanks for sharing the info where we can help. Have a great day ~
Little Amos
Thanks Tom for the article and the photos.
That is what close communities do! Help those in need.
Will keep Amos and his family in my prayers.
Thanks Tom for sharing little Amos’ story. I live very close to Children’s Hospital in Boston and would be very happy to assist this family in any way possible. Blessings to Amos and his family.
Thank you for the follow up. I was wondering how it had gone. I thank God the little boy had his surgery, and so much support came in to help the family.
Tasty food for a good cause!
M-m-m-m! I could smell the maple syrup and pancakes & sausage and coffee as soon as I saw the photo! Wish I could have been there, but thanks, Tom, for the address to send donations to.
It’s hard to imagine how a family without insurance could manage to pay these astronomical medical bills. As Lee Ann mentioned, just letting the hospital, doctors, etc. know the circumstances is a good idea. (I hope there’s no “wounded pride” involved here…certainly not within the Amish culture!)There are good people all over, who would be willing to help, if they knew the situation. Thanks for passing on that info, Tom.
And God bless Little Amos and his family and community!
I’m guessing the first $175,000 (or a good portion of it) was probably paid by the Amish community. Do you have anymore info along those lines that you can give us, Tom (or Erik)? Does everyone in the community regularly give a certain percentage of their income to a general fund for such emergency purposes? Who manages/distributes funds? How is the “percentage” determined? And is there a specific procedure for asking for help, when a family is suddenly “in need”?
Alice Mary,
The benefit auction held last fall in Little Valley I was told raised between $125,000 and $150,000 which the hospital in Boston said would be enough to go ahead with the operation. As mentioned in the Buffalo News story money comes in from all over the country and this is the reason the story needs to be told to more folks. The local Amish settlement helps each other, but the Little Valley settlement is small and of limited means and I don’t think they would ever be able to pay this bill without the generosity of the English community. I would think that Erik knows about how the Amish collections mutual aid money.
Thanks for the update! I remember the story that was ran on this site in the Fall. I’ve been wondering how he was doing and if he had his surgery. Thanks also for attaching the address.
Amos Hertzler fundraiser November 8 in New York
Amos Hertzler is now 4 years old. They are having another fundraiser breakfast tomorrow in New York.
“They will hold a benefit pancake breakfast on Nov. 8 in Otto.
The Amish fundraising breakfast on Saturday will include all-you-can-eat pancakes, maple syrup, doughnuts, scrambled eggs and sausage, plus Amish-made yogurt made by Noah Hertzler.
There is no set price for the breakfast but donations will be accepted.
The event will take place at the Otto Fire Hall at 9199 Jart Road, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a bake sale, as well as quilts and wall hangings for sale.
A silent auction will take place for oak chairs made by Amos’ father.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/cattaraugus-county/amish-childs-fundraiser-set-for-saturday-20141107