GBS- GET BETTER SOON, DUKE!

During the Thanksgiving break, Duke started having diarrhea, vomiting, and pain in his legs, hips, and back. On Saturday, November 27, 2021, he went to Jacksonville, Florida's Wolfson Children Hospital. They conducted a few tests, and he was released to go home. On Sunday, around 4:00 PM, he was in unbearable pain, and his mother took him to Coffee Regional Hospital. He was transported by ambulance back to Wolfson Children's Hospital.

 

November 29, 2021, he was diagnosed with GBS (Guillain-Barré Syndrome). GBS is a rare, autoimmune disorder in which a person's own immune system damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last for a few weeks to several years. Most people recover fully, but some have permanent nerve damage.

 

Duke's treatment consists of special blood transfusions (plasma exchange and immunoglobulin therapy). It takes seven transfusions, and he has had five already. He will need physical therapy as well.

 

Duke is nine years old; his parents are El Carswell and Desiree Paulk. He is a fourth-grade student at Indian Creek Elementary School. He attends Macedonia Baptist Church under Rev. Frank Robinson, II. Duke is very active in football, basketball, and outdoor activities. He loves to do Tik Tok videos, and he doesn't meet strangers.

 

Duke will be hospitalized during the Christmas holidays and well into the new year with the treatments and therapy. They are waiting on a bed in a rehabilitation facility in Jacksonville or Atlanta. 

Duke is unable to walk or use his hands. 

 

We ask for donations to help with travel expenses, food, and hotel accommodations. His father has been off work, and his mother is self-employed.

 

Any donation is appreciated, and All prayers are welcome!