WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Family losing home to continue paying for meds for their autistic children

Family losing home to continue paying for meds for their autistic children

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - There is an issue that is affecting more and more of our viewers. We focus on one family who's about to lose everything they own because of the expense of caring for their autistic child. Many of you will remember little Eli Toucey. During our 9SPORTS LSU National Championship special, he was selected as our Ultimate Tiger Fan. Now, Eli's family is fighting the ultimate battle, balancing the cost of expensive medical care versus keeping the family a float.

This family has been on a true rollercoaster, dealing with one surprise after another. First, finding out their precious Eli suffers from autism, and then finding out Eli won WAFB's Ultimate Tiger Fan. However, the ups and downs of that rollercoaster continue. "We've lost our home. We are about three days away from a sheriff's sale. We're trying to work out a short sale, but basically, this isn't our home anymore. We are on borrowed time," says Hillary Toucey, Eli's mother.

Hillary Toucey works full-time at the office and as a mother. Her husband, Chris, is a firefighter. For this young, hard-working couple, the home they're in was supposed to be a start, not an end. "We just never expected to be in this situation. We always had enough. We never had a lot, but we had enough. We expected to just keep building on that," Hillary says.

The Touceys say bills for medication are just the beginning. A few months ago, there was another dip in that coaster. Their other son, Jonah, was also diagnosed with autism. "I'm used to saying my son has autism, but now I have to say my boys have autism." Most insurance companies do not cover treatment for autism. However, a new bill before the Louisiana legislature could change that. "It's very embarrassing that you can't pay your bills. Adds up, adds up, adds up. You never want to not pay your house note, but if it becomes between medicine for the kids and paying a house note, I'm getting medicine for my kid," she says.

The Touceys' three-year battle is far from over. "Three and this is where we've ended up. It's just really scary to see where we are going to be 20 years from now." On this rollercoaster ride the Touceys call life, things are constantly changing, which is perhaps the hardest thing for a child with autism - change. As their home slips away, it may be hard for some people to understand why things like this happen, but for little Eli, it's not hard. It's nearly impossible. "I'm trying to tell them we're going to take everything that's yours. We are going to set up your room. Eli looked at me and said with tears in his eyes, ‘What about my walls?' I said ‘Well, the walls have to stay here.'"

You can make a donation to help out the Toucey family at any Chase Bank. It's under the Eli and Jonah Toucey Fund.

Reporter:  Anna Adair, WAFB 9NEWS