Help Ease Logan's Pain
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This is our nephew Logan Slone with his mother Tonya Porter Slone. Logan is 4 years old and is about to go through a very serious surgery to solve a problem that's been plaguing him for the last year or longer.
Logan has been suffering with intermittent severe abdominal pain for about a year. In July of last year, he was admitted to Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City. There he was diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis. Niswonger referred him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was admitted in August for testing. These tests included genetic testing. The genetic tests revealed Logan had two genetic mutations affecting his pancreas. He was diagnosed with Hereditary Pancreatitis (HP).
HP is a rare genetic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of pancreatic attacks, which can progress to chronic pancreatitis. HP has also been linked to an increased lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer. Individuals with hereditary pancreatitis appear to have a 40% lifetime risk to develop pancreatic cancer. At this time, there is no cure for HP.
Over the course of the last year, Logan has been hospitalized in Johnson City and Cincinnati a number of times. The hospitalizations were necessary to manage his pain and/or to perform a procedure to treat the pancreatitis. This procedure is known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). During the procedure, a scope is used to enter the ducts of the pancreas to remove any stones present and to open the ducts by way of a stent in hopes of easing Logan’s pain. Logan has had this procedure done on four different occasions, with a stent being placed on each occasion. Each procedure was successful, but only eased Logan’s pain for a very short time.
In November, because of the lack of success with the ERCP procedure and Logan’s frequent episodes, the pancreatic care team at Cincinnati recommended a surgery known as TPIAT (total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation). TPIAT is a very serious surgery lasting 12-14 hours where the pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and appendix are removed. The islet cells (cells that produce insulin in the pancreas) are transplanted from the pancreas into the liver with the hope they will begin to produce insulin there. Logan will be on an insulin pump until these cells begin working. If they do not work, he will be a diabetic for the rest of his life.
As noted Logan’s condition is hereditary and to make matters even worse for this family, Logan’s older brother Kolby is suffering from the same condition and will be having the same surgery in the very near future.
Logan’s surgery is scheduled for April 19 in Cincinnati. Logan and Tonya will remain in Cincinnati for 6-8 weeks after the surgery for Logan’s recovery and follow-up appointments. During this time, Chad (Logan’s dad) and Tonya will incur travel, lodging and food expenses, in addition to medical and prescription expenses for a number of months or, possibly, years afterwards.
Kolby’s surgery was scheduled for later this month. However, he is currently suffering an episode of pancreatitis and the surgery can not be performed until the episode has subsided. His surgery will be scheduled for a later date.
Firstly, we humbly ask for your support through prayer. Chad, Tonya, Logan, Emma and Kolby all desire your prayer of healing and comfort.
Secondly, we ask for your financial support. The family’s expenses associated with these surgeries, the travel and aftercare will be very burdensome. We ask that you help us ease that burden for them. No donation is too small.
Thank you and God bless
Mike and Christy Porter
Logan has been suffering with intermittent severe abdominal pain for about a year. In July of last year, he was admitted to Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City. There he was diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis. Niswonger referred him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was admitted in August for testing. These tests included genetic testing. The genetic tests revealed Logan had two genetic mutations affecting his pancreas. He was diagnosed with Hereditary Pancreatitis (HP).
HP is a rare genetic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of pancreatic attacks, which can progress to chronic pancreatitis. HP has also been linked to an increased lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer. Individuals with hereditary pancreatitis appear to have a 40% lifetime risk to develop pancreatic cancer. At this time, there is no cure for HP.
Over the course of the last year, Logan has been hospitalized in Johnson City and Cincinnati a number of times. The hospitalizations were necessary to manage his pain and/or to perform a procedure to treat the pancreatitis. This procedure is known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). During the procedure, a scope is used to enter the ducts of the pancreas to remove any stones present and to open the ducts by way of a stent in hopes of easing Logan’s pain. Logan has had this procedure done on four different occasions, with a stent being placed on each occasion. Each procedure was successful, but only eased Logan’s pain for a very short time.
In November, because of the lack of success with the ERCP procedure and Logan’s frequent episodes, the pancreatic care team at Cincinnati recommended a surgery known as TPIAT (total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation). TPIAT is a very serious surgery lasting 12-14 hours where the pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and appendix are removed. The islet cells (cells that produce insulin in the pancreas) are transplanted from the pancreas into the liver with the hope they will begin to produce insulin there. Logan will be on an insulin pump until these cells begin working. If they do not work, he will be a diabetic for the rest of his life.
As noted Logan’s condition is hereditary and to make matters even worse for this family, Logan’s older brother Kolby is suffering from the same condition and will be having the same surgery in the very near future.
Logan’s surgery is scheduled for April 19 in Cincinnati. Logan and Tonya will remain in Cincinnati for 6-8 weeks after the surgery for Logan’s recovery and follow-up appointments. During this time, Chad (Logan’s dad) and Tonya will incur travel, lodging and food expenses, in addition to medical and prescription expenses for a number of months or, possibly, years afterwards.
Kolby’s surgery was scheduled for later this month. However, he is currently suffering an episode of pancreatitis and the surgery can not be performed until the episode has subsided. His surgery will be scheduled for a later date.
Firstly, we humbly ask for your support through prayer. Chad, Tonya, Logan, Emma and Kolby all desire your prayer of healing and comfort.
Secondly, we ask for your financial support. The family’s expenses associated with these surgeries, the travel and aftercare will be very burdensome. We ask that you help us ease that burden for them. No donation is too small.
Thank you and God bless
Mike and Christy Porter
Organizer and beneficiary
Christy Porter
Organizer
Clintwood, VA
Tonya Slone
Beneficiary