Tanner’s journey to health

Hi. Our oldest son Tanner has been going through a severe illness for about a year. We have been very hesitant to share details of his situation online because he is a young adult now and we were hoping to respect his privacy. However, we are at a point in his journey where we are facing some major decisions that will be life changing for him and financially draining for us. Tanner would like for me to share some of his story so that family and friends can rally around us with support and prayers. It’s lonely being sick and any support he can get is much appreciated. He has a hard time with visitors, but words of encouragement and prayers are so comforting to him.

Last spring Tanner noticed that his digestive system wasn’t working properly. He is a typical teenager and didn’t share details with his mom. But by late summer, he was having more trouble than he could manage. When we discovered the issues he was having, we realized he might have the early signs of Ulcerative colitis. As some of you know, his dad Tyler also had colitis as a young adult. We were hopeful that we knew enough about colitis due to years of studying and learning about alternative treatments that might have been helpful in Tyler’s illness. We went to our naturopathic doctor and developed a treatment plan. For a short time the plan worked and his symptoms resolved. However, in late fall of 2021, he had a very severe flare up that resulted in multiple trips to the hospital. Since that time he has lost almost 60 pounds, received many blood transfusions, and had more needles and IV’s than I can count. He has not slept through the night for 9 months. He can’t leave the house or ride in the car comfortably. His quality of life is poor and he has been isolated from his friends and everything he loves for months.

The short answer for what is happening is that he has an unidentified infection in his blood that is robbing him of all his iron and nutrients. It is keeping him from being able to make blood. That’s why he is requiring blood transfusions monthly. On top of this, he has the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. I will spare you those details, but imagine having the stomach flu for 10 straight months with no relief or way to control it. He has been treated with a small round of steroids once. That resulted in some very severe side effects and we quickly realized we needed a different approach. After many failed attempts, many paths and many consultations, and many prayers for enlightenment, we have been introduced to a specialist that helps people who are in Tanner's situation. We are working very hard to exhaust all paths and avoid the typical medical recommendation of removing his colon. The specialist is very confident that he can save his colon and restore his body. However, the treatment will include a 2-3 week stay at an inpatient facility in Nashville Tennessee. This clinic treats people from all over the world who are in a last resort situation. We have given them all our information and they have agreed to accept him into their program. His projected date to start treatment is the second week of June. We are on a cancellation list and if a date comes available, we will take it.

We have spent thousands of dollars to date on many specialists. We have applied for financial assistance on Tanner’s behalf for any bills we can. The clinic in Nashville is an out of pocket expense. His treatment will cost between $15,000 to $20,000 not including the travel, lodging, and food. Tyler plans to take him and can hopefully work remotely during part of the stay. We will use any funds from this effort to pay for this and the ongoing treatments he will need to heal his body after the initial 3 week stay. We anticipate he will have about another year of rebuilding to restore him to full health. Of course we know there is no guarantee when starting any treatment plan. We are always aware that he might end up needing life saving surgery at any time. But we are willing to give him every opportunity to avoid that outcome if possible. We want nothing but the best for him and are confident that this clinic can help.

Tanner is a very talented musician. Some of you know he had started playing small gigs and performing in the local area before he got sick last year. He is so ready to get back to life and share the talent that God has blessed him with. After this journey, he hopes to be able to encourage others through the gift of music and give hope to those who are struggling. He clings tightly to the Word and appreciates any prayers. His brother, sister, mom and dad would also appreciate prayers. This has been a hard journey for the entire family. We miss being able to have fun together and can’t wait to have the family band in action again.