A six year old's birthday wish

A 6 Year Old’s Birthday Wish: Helping his Daddy "Jeff Houseknecht " Return to Health

 

Since August 2010, since his daughter was weeks old, Jeff has been battling multiple health issues that have gone largely undiagnosed, putting a large emotional and financial drain on his young family—his wife, his six year old son, and his four year old daughter. 

 

An epileptic since he was 20 years old, Jeff always had medical issues to contend with, but was able to work and be promoted through his positive attitude and work ethic; however, his health took a turn for the worst in August 2010 right after his daughter was born and as his grandmother was battling terminal cancer.  In the fall and winter of that year, he was hospitalized multiple times for pneumonia and undiagnosed gastro-intestinal issues.  His gall bladder was removed in the winter of that year in hopes that would help, but to no avail.  For the next two years, Jeff struggled with these issues through multiple hospitalizations and specialists who determined that he had a spinal condition called Ankylosing spondylitis which causes his spine to fuse together over time, but could not determine the cause of his gastrointestinal issues.

 

After the insurance company eventually agreed to the study required to determine he had Crohn’s disease in his small intestine, Jeff thought he was on the mend.  However, this would only be the beginning.  He woke up one morning in 2012 as though he had a stroke.  He could barely move—he could not get off of the couch and his left side was drooped and almost immobile.  Upon hospitalization he was told a number of things, from a stroke to the aftereffects of an epileptic episode; however, he was ultimately released from the hospital almost a week later with no answers.  OT, PT, and speech therapists all came to the house to attempt to get him speaking and moving normally, but it was his neurologist who determined he had Parkinson’s brought on by the Crohn’s disease.  After a course of medications and vitamins, he almost fully recovered, but continues to struggle with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

 

For the past year or so, Jeff was able to keep working—something that was extremely important to him.  This was largely possible through a twice-monthly shot of Humira, an immunosuppressant drug.  However, in November 2014, Jeff developed a softball-sized lesion on his spine.  It was determined that he had MRSA—an infection that he developed as a result of his twice monthly dose of Humira—a shot that treated both his spinal condition and his Crohn’s, allowing him to work.  This lesion resulted in him being hospitalized for a week on IV antibiotic and resulted in him no longer being able to take his Humira, making it harder for him to continue to work as the effects of his Crohn’s and spinal condition are not being adequately treated.

 

For the next six months, he has struggled with more lesions and upon consultation with doctors in Rochester and at the Cleveland Clinic, was largely able to stay working with minimal lost days.  However, this changed again in July 2015 when he developed a golf-ball sized lesion on his forehead.  After initially responding to antibiotics, Jeff woke up one morning with his face swollen as through he had been in a bad fight.  He went back to Strong where he was told that his eye was at risk and he might lose it.  A few more days of hospitalization later, he is now home trying to deal with the effects of the most recent lesions and the ones that are continuing to develop afterwards.

 

The turning point in this struggle came when Jeff’s six-year-old son told him that his birthday wish is that his daddy not die.  At this moment, Jeff decided that to give himself the best chance to get better and to take care of his family, that he needs to take a leave from work so he can continue to follow up with doctors and get to the bottom of these issues.  This requires, however, that he take unpaid time from work while trying to take care of his two young children.  This is very difficult for him as he has always been independent and someone who can pride himself on his ability to support his family.  At the urging of his friends and family, he has agreed to share his story in an effort to fund the treatment that he needs to turn the corner after dealing with these issues for almost five years.   Medical costs and lost wages have put this family under a great strain as they attempt to fund the costs of daily life while paying for trips to Cleveland and to the various specialists in their hometown of Rochester, NY.   Jeff’s goal is to be healthy and able to return to work to support his family—anything you can do to help support this goal is greatly appreciated.

 

Any donations received will be used towards Jeff’s continued medical care—hospital and doctor’s co-pays, medications-- travel to Cleveland Clinic, as well as for daily living expenses for the family.