Perhaps you’ve already met Easton in Travelers Rest. Maybe your kids have played alongside him at the new Adventure Park at Trailblazer Park. Easton loves it there. Or maybe you’ve shared crayons or paint with him at Treehouse Cafe – that’s another favorite Easton hang out spot.
Easton is the son of Brett and Ashlee Morley. Brett & Ashley are in Travelers Rest often with their family, working at the local coffee shops, eating dinner and being regulars at the YMCA – another spot where everyone knows Easton.
A little boy with a big heart and an equally big grin, Easton was born with a serious medical diagnosis. He’s been on peritoneal dialysis since September of 2022. At birth he was diagnosed with Bladder Outlet Obstruction and before birth he endured two fetal surgeries in Cincinnati at 18 weeks and 31 weeks gestation. During the second fetal surgery, Ashlee went into early labor and Easton was born prematurely. He spent 68 nights in the NICU between both Cincinnati and Greenville hospitals. Since birth he has had two surgeries and currently has a g-tube. Easton isn’t yet able to eat solid food by mouth.
Easton needs a life changing kidney transplant (the first of a few). He is currently waiting to find his perfect living donor match. Once he receives a transplant, Easton will be able to do a lot more activities like other toddlers – take a bath, swim and enjoy sports. His body will be more capable of growing developmentally as it should.
The search for a living kidney donor has been a long and difficult journey, with many setbacks along the way as donors have volunteered and then been eliminated for different medical reasons. Ashlee, Brett and Ashlee’s mom all tested to be able to be considered as possible kidney donors, but were all denied for various reasons. There was high hope as a viable donor had recently been found and each step was progressing toward surgery. Sadly, this donor’s antibodies were in conflict with Easton’s and is no longer an option. If donating a kidney is something you would consider doing, please reach out to Ashlee (happy to give her email out to you) and let her know what steps are needed.
Easton is sweet and kind and he loves adventures. His parents enjoy taking him to new places and exploring locally too. “Although it is more work, we love traveling with Easton, taking him to the park and on play dates,” Ashlee shares. “We love celebrating him hitting his milestones EXTRA hard because it doesn’t come easy.”
Brett and Ashlee have seen such family and community support gather round them. Various fundraisers have taken place across the Upstate – from a Chipotle night to a Sidewall night and more. “Our closest friends have really rallied together to help us fundraise,” the couple share. “They have also learned how to care, how they can, for Easton or our family to allow times of rest and recovery – from a solo coffee date to an overnight anniversary trip.”
Discovering Easton’s future medical needs during her pregnancy, Ashlee and Brett began educating themselves right away. Ashlee says she is a constant researcher and advocate. “I ask questions and on repeat until I fully understand the answer,” she shares. “I am also involved in multiple medical groups for kidney mamas and medical mamas in general.”
We plan to continue to share with you Easton’s progress and the ways we can, as a community, come to support Easton and Ashlee and Brett and their families as they travel this difficult road. The gift we can offer is that they do not have to walk this path alone.
