A Letter From Henry and Jack:

Around dusk on November 14, 2014, while enjoying some blanket time at the park, Mommy noticed a rash covering Daddy's feet and legs klike hundreds of antbites under the skin.   After a quick trip to Medac and a nearby lab for a blood sample, we ate dinner, and Mommy and Daddy tucked us in bed.  But a middle-of-the-night phone call summoned Daddy to the ER for dangerously low platelets (9000 per microliter of circulating blood) and the risk of sudden brain hemmorhage or other internal bleeding...

After an eternal, trial and error process at the hospital - including a platelet transfusion, the ruling out of various cancers and infectious diseases, liver and heart tests and an initial round of immune-suppressing steroids - they told us Daddy had "ITP."   

We didn't know what that was either!   ITP stands for idiopathic (unknown cause) thrombocytopenic (low platelets) purpura (red/purple coloring on skin from capillaries bleeding internally, hence the "antbite" rash at the park).   It is a blood disorder that - depending on its severity - leads to bleeding and bruising, resulting from usually low levels of platelets, the cells that help clot your blood.   Our Dad's body continues to manufacture antibodies which mark his own platelets for destruction.  Without extreme medical intervention, our Dad's platelet count drops to almost ZERO...



The standard course of treatment is a checklist that both naturopathic and conventional doctors take patients through, with the hopes of spontaneous remission as the "cure."  After hearing that there was no known cure other than spontaneous remission, we were surprised and scared.  Many of the treatments Daddy has received worked only temporarily to raise his platelet count and are too dangerous to continue long-term:

--platelet transfusion: CHECK

--month-long doses of corticosteroids: CHECK

--iVIG transfusions:  CHECK

--Vitamin C megagoses: CHECK

--papaya leaf extract: CHECK

--lots of sesame oil: CHECK

--weekly nPlate injections for almost 4 months: CHECK

--splenectomy (bye-bye spleen): SCHEDULED 

--Rituxan transfusions

Daddy is scheduled to have his spleen removed on June 10, 2015, a surgery which may (66%) increase his platelet count for a couple years or permanently.  However, without a spleen, our Daddy will be permanently vulnerable to infection...



Over the past  7 months, Daddy has been incredibly blessed to receive great care from lab technicians, nurses and doctors, as well as the prayers, support and encouragement of countless friends and family members.  All of the above have allowed our Daddy more time on earth to be the Godly man, faithful (and funny) husband, protective father, joyful friend and productive breadwinner that he is.  

Would you please consider helping our Dad achieve spontaneous remission from ITP by giving toward the cost of:

--splenectomy procedure and follow-up appointments

--hematologist visits, lab tests, and potential ER visits

--missed time at work due to surgery, recovery and regular doctor visits

--health insurance premiums

Thank you!

Love,

Henry and Jack