As writen by Mateo's mother:

Our lives were blessed by the birth of my son, Mateo on November 12, 2003. He was a beautiful baby even if I do say so myself! He grew right before our eyes, never sick, always happy and always curious. He had a sense of humor at an early age and delighted us all by his laughter and smiles.

At 11:45 pm on March 3, 2005, our lives totally changed, a night we will never forget...

Mateo contracted West Nile Virus as a result of a mosquito bite. This resulted in encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from prolonged seizures and extremely high fevers. Our lives were turned upside down. Mateo was in Critical Care for five weeks followed by another two weeks in "step down". After being released from Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL, he was transferred to Spaulding Rehab in Boston, Mass for two months of specialized treatment.

Mateo went from being a normal, healthy child full of energy, walking, speaking several words and sense of humor to a complete reversal. He now battles valiantly every day to regain all that he has lost. He has continued to improve and has gone from 99% disabled to 45% disabled in a one year span. This is due to aggressive therapy, regular therapy, hyperbaric therapy, aquatic therapy and swimming classes. He has completed 64, 1-hour sessions in the hyperbaric chamber. He has completed two three-week courses of aggressive therapy.

The heart of this young child has been a blessing to all of us. Mateo never ceases his desire and drive to get better. The bulk of his life has been nothing but in and out of hospitals and therapy centers. Despite his full regimen of treatments, he continues to work his hardest and still have a smile for anyone that needs one. Mateo has blessed our lives by his heart, his incredible drive and his great attitude at just two and a half years old.

Our family is committed to doing anything they can do to assist in completing his full recovery. However, the bulk of his treatments are not covered by insurance. Therapy and equipment are very expensive and have drained all of us financially. We see the improvements in his life and know that he will continue to recover if he can get the treatments he needs. Our faith continues to be strong and so is our commitment to helping him any way we can. The thought of Mateo not receiving therapy that would help him recover is heart-wrenching. This is why we continue our struggle in finding resources to get our little boy back again.