Healthcare For Katie Sells
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Katie is a 12 year old girl from Eureka, California who enjoys playing soccer and basketball with her friends. She attends Winship Middle School and is an excellent student. Starting in later May 2013 she began to develop significant stomach pain and weight-loss requiring hospitalization. During her hospitalization in Eureka she developed worsening stomach pains, fevers and joint pain. After ruling out infection, the doctors in Eureka were concerned that Katie had an autoimmune disease, a process by which your own immune system attacks vital organs in the body. Given her worsening condition and a lack of diagnosis, she was airlifted to Stanford's Packard Children's Hospital for additional testing.
At Stanford Katie underwent multiple painful and anxiety provoking testing and procedures and she was ultimately given a diagnosis of Indeterminate Colitis , a chronic inflammatory condition which requires longterm immunosuppression. Additionally, she was diagnosed with a very rare disease called Sweet's Syndrome, a skin condition that can be associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Katie was treated with steroids and her symptoms ultimately improved, but have not yet resolved. She has been able to return home, but continues to have intermittent abdominal pain and painful joints making her unable to walk at this time.
Steroids have been able to minimize her symptoms, but they are associated with many longterm side effects (bone thinning, diabetes and stunting of growth) and so are seen as merely a "bridge" to more definitive therapy. She will most likely have to be treated with a different class of immunosuppressive agents, which are extremely expensive (~ $15,000-20,000 per year).
In addition, given the rarity of her diseases, Katie will have to be evaluated regularly at the Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto for additional procedural testing and response to therapy. The Children's Hospital is 7 hours away from their home in Eureka.
Currently we are trying to raise money to help support the costs associated with co-pays, transportation and lodging. Any contribution is appreciated.
At Stanford Katie underwent multiple painful and anxiety provoking testing and procedures and she was ultimately given a diagnosis of Indeterminate Colitis , a chronic inflammatory condition which requires longterm immunosuppression. Additionally, she was diagnosed with a very rare disease called Sweet's Syndrome, a skin condition that can be associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Katie was treated with steroids and her symptoms ultimately improved, but have not yet resolved. She has been able to return home, but continues to have intermittent abdominal pain and painful joints making her unable to walk at this time.
Steroids have been able to minimize her symptoms, but they are associated with many longterm side effects (bone thinning, diabetes and stunting of growth) and so are seen as merely a "bridge" to more definitive therapy. She will most likely have to be treated with a different class of immunosuppressive agents, which are extremely expensive (~ $15,000-20,000 per year).
In addition, given the rarity of her diseases, Katie will have to be evaluated regularly at the Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto for additional procedural testing and response to therapy. The Children's Hospital is 7 hours away from their home in Eureka.
Currently we are trying to raise money to help support the costs associated with co-pays, transportation and lodging. Any contribution is appreciated.
Organizer
Jessica Sells
Organizer
Eureka, CA
