Courageous Kitt

Kristin Burrington is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Kelli Owen.

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Kitt is currently in bone marrow failure and will require a bone marrow transplant in January 2022 due to a DNA-repair disease called Fanconi Anemia (FA).
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/courageouskitt

Kitt was diagnosed in April 2021 with this very rare condition. Only around 30 children per year in the U.S. are born with Fanconi Anemia.
It can affect all systems of the body and the type and severity of symptoms can vary widely from person to person. FA patients are extremely likely to develop life threatening health issues including bone marrow failure, leukemia and a variety of cancers. They are also unable to receive most traditional cancer treatments. Decades ago, children rarely survived to adulthood. Now, with the help of more successful bone marrow transplants, there are adults with FA that live into their 30's, 40's and beyond. Currently, the average longevity of a person with FA is around 34. With a successful transplant patients are considered cured of the blood problems associated with FA, but still must be subject to very thorough, regular screenings for cancer as that risk is still extremely high.

http://www.fanconi.org/
Managing Kitt’s FA will be a lifelong ordeal for Kitt and her family.

Kitt will start her transplant journey in early January 2022 with a week of tests and procedures prior to being admitted to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Once admitted, she will begin a conditioning regimen, including chemotherapy, that will ready her body to receive her new cells. Once transplanted she and her mom Kelli, will spend approximately 4-6 weeks in the hospital while she recovers enough to be discharged.

In the meantime Will (dad) will be working full time while caring for Kitt's brothers, Felix (15) and Axel (2 1/2). They will need to consider hiring an in home nanny to help with childcare vs daycare to minimize the possibility of bringing germs into the environment.

When Kitt and Kelli finally get to come home, they will report daily to the hospital for clinic appointments. The first 100 days post transplant are extremely critical and require 24/7 care for Kitt. This means that Kelli will be taking a minimum of 4 months off from work, which will cut the household income by almost 40%.

To have the financial burdens lifted while Kelli and Will care for their daughter during this unbelievably difficult time is the least we can do for them.