Mothers always know... Jennifer Peachman had the feeling that something just wasn't right but all of the doctors told her that her beautiful daughter was just fine. Although the Peachman family sensed it, never in a million years could they imagine that Morgan would be diagnosed with Cystinosis, a rare disease that affects ONLY 500 individuals in the US and ONLY 2000 worldwide. Just prior to Morgan's second birthday, that reality set in and changed the lives of the Peachman family and those who have known them forever.
Morgan was born on 07/07/2007 and is now eleven years old. Her current kidney function is less than 25% and she is in need of a transplant that will cost over $250,000 in the summer of 2019. Most likely, she will be spending her 12th birthday in a hospital, fighting for her life but with a smile on her face. If this story touches you, will you please join Team Peach to make a Miracle for Morgan? THANK YOU!
More about Cystinosis
Cystinosis is a rare and incurable metabolic disease. As proteins are degraded within the lysosomes of cells, the individual amino acids that make up the proteins are transported from the lysosome to the cell’s cytoplasm via specific transporters. The transporter for cystine is defective in children with cystinosis, which causes the cystine to crystallize within tissues. This build up eventually destroys all the body’s organs including the kidneys, liver, muscles, white blood cells, eyes and central nervous system.
Without specific treatment, these children progress to end-stage renal failure by an average age of nine years. In the past, this meant death. Today these patients can receive renal dialysis or transplantation, but even with successful transplantations, they develop abnormalities in other organs.
Fortunately, cystinosis treatment is getting better. The drug cysteamine slows the progression of cystinosis by removing the cystine from cells, but for the drug treatment to be effective, it must be taken every six hours. Although this has led to a much better future for these children, cysteamine is not a cure.
Morgan was born on 07/07/2007 and is now eleven years old. Her current kidney function is less than 25% and she is in need of a transplant that will cost over $250,000 in the summer of 2019. Most likely, she will be spending her 12th birthday in a hospital, fighting for her life but with a smile on her face. If this story touches you, will you please join Team Peach to make a Miracle for Morgan? THANK YOU!
More about Cystinosis
Cystinosis is a rare and incurable metabolic disease. As proteins are degraded within the lysosomes of cells, the individual amino acids that make up the proteins are transported from the lysosome to the cell’s cytoplasm via specific transporters. The transporter for cystine is defective in children with cystinosis, which causes the cystine to crystallize within tissues. This build up eventually destroys all the body’s organs including the kidneys, liver, muscles, white blood cells, eyes and central nervous system.
Without specific treatment, these children progress to end-stage renal failure by an average age of nine years. In the past, this meant death. Today these patients can receive renal dialysis or transplantation, but even with successful transplantations, they develop abnormalities in other organs.
Fortunately, cystinosis treatment is getting better. The drug cysteamine slows the progression of cystinosis by removing the cystine from cells, but for the drug treatment to be effective, it must be taken every six hours. Although this has led to a much better future for these children, cysteamine is not a cure.
Co-organizers5
Bob Smedley
Organizer
Twinsburg, OH
Jennifer Peachman
Beneficiary
Ashleigh Alexander
Co-organizer
Clay Smedley
Co-organizer
Rich Swerbinsky
Co-organizer
Tom Gallucci
Co-organizer