Melrose community comes together to help 2-year-old

link Courtesy photo: Brenda Allen

Eliza Dodd, 2, of Melrose, has been hospitalized for the last three weeks undergoing treatments for Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Three men from Melrose banded together Saturday night to raise money for the family at a brisket dinner and silent auciton. The men raised around $26,000, all of which is going to Eliza’s family.

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Melrose has a reputation of being a close-knit community due to its small size.

Saturday night was one of its opportunities to come together, when three organizers pitched in to schedule a brisket dinner and silent auction along with the Melrose Fire Department to help out the Dodd family; their 2-year-old daughter Eliza has been battling Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).

Organizer Barry Allen said Eliza had been hospitalized in Lubbock for E. coli around three weeks ago when she contracted HUS. She was immediately airlifted to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

As of Monday morning, Eliza began showing signs of her kidneys functioning, Allen said. Her parents, Burl and Jana Dodd, remain in high spirits, he said.

“Things are looking better,” Allen said. “We’re hoping for answered prayers.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, E. coli causes most HUS cases.

Allen said HUS also raises the number of red blood cells in the body, which the kidneys have trouble filtering. Eliza, he said, has gone through six rounds of dialysis in a little less than two weeks.

“You know, it’s been a tough road,” Allen said. “It’s a rare deal that she’s got going on. The doctor did research and found a study from France, and just started her on medication last (Thursday) night that they hope helps her. She is way too tiny to be dealing with this deal.”

Allen teamed up with Keith “Taz” McAlister and Neil Delk, both of Melrose, to smoke around 45 briskets. They raised around $26,000 at the silent auction Saturday night, Allen said.

“We came up with this idea last Sunday night (June 28), got people involved and spread the word,” McAlister said. “It’s gone like wildfire.”

Delk said he got a phone call from a man who heard about the dinner and silent auction, but was unable to attend. It didn’t stop him from donating $200 to the Dodd family, though.

“That’s what we’ve seen amongst the giving and stuff to make it happen,” Delk said. “That’s the second phone call I’ve received like that, and others have called us and said the same thing.

‘So and so just gave us a check.’”

Delk said the support they have received for this event “has been tremendous,” and the community has stuck together to support the Dodd family.

“It’s just been a bunch of fellowship, and a community coming together to support this,” Delk said. “Surrounding communities, too, not just Melrose. The surrounding counties for that matter as far as donations, and what we’ve kind of seen, it’s been tremendous.”

The Dodds, Allen said, have been a part of the Melrose community for a long time. Allen has known Burl Dodd, Eliza’s father, since they were in diapers, he said. McAlister has known Burl Dodd since they started school together in kindergarten.

“We are blessed to live in the community we live in,” Allen said. “We don’t have a particular goal, but we just want to help raise this family.”

“It’s just about helping families in need, for lack of better words,” Delk said. “We just jump at these type of opportunities. It’s what we’re here for.”

McAlister said a bank account has been created in Eliza’s name at the American Heritage Bank in Melrose for anyone who would like to donate.

“From Fort Sumner to Portales, Clovis, Melrose, Texico and the surrounding communities, the family really wants to thank everyone for their efforts in helping Eliza,” Allen said. “It means more to them than they could ever begin to say.”

For more information about how to help, call Allen at 575-799-2090, McAlister at 575-749-8989 or Delk at 575-749-6991.