Pierre's - Walk Again Fund
Donation protected
I am raising money to help my 9 year old son, Pierre, to get an operation he needs to treat the aftermath of his Perthes Disease.
The video below was the trip for his "last" surgery, when we've hoped for a better outcome. A lot of you, my friends in the automotive community wished us well and it really uplifted Pierre's spirit.
Here is how it all began:
At age 7 Pierre was a perfectly normal boy who could run and play. He came down with a severe limp, seemingly overnight, and he was diagnosed at University of Michigan Hospital with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease after a lot of testing and several hospital stays.
Perthes is a rare childhood orthopedic disease where blood supply gets cut off (for unknown reason) to the top of the femoral head. It eventually dies and collapses and the hip often falls out of joint. The femoral head usually grows back misshapen--causing early arthritis, poor range of motion and leaves kids immobilized and left out of most normal activities that kids do.
Since the diagnosis, Pierre had a hip distraction surgery in Florida -- to put his hip back in place, and he wore an external fixator and used a wheelchair and walker for 4 months.
He did hundreds of hours of physical therapy.
He then had a second surgery in Florida to remove the fixator. The surgery helped in putting the hip back into joint-- but unfortunately he developed calcifications within the soft tissue of hip joint and growth plate that will require removal and also to release of the soft tissues in the hip -- as he has developed a contracture -- to allow him to walk without a severe limp and lessen his pain.
Because Perthes is so rare and Pierre has a "complicated hip" and after consulting with pediatric orthopedic doctors in New Orleans, Houston, Florida, Baltimore and Lisbon, Portugal -- there are few specialists in the world equipped and experienced to do the surgery he needs.
He will need to go to Baltimore at Sinai Hospital for the operation and we must stay there for following surgery to do intensive physical therapy--which is essential to a successful outcome.
Still recovering financially from his surgery in Florida last year, medical bills beyond what insurance covers, and the usual routine of exceeding the allowed physical therapy visits under his insurance for the year -- we are reaching out to friends to help us with some of the costs, if at all possible.
Every parent wants the best life for their children and it would be a tragedy for him not to get his operation and continue on in pain, causing further damage to his joint.
Pierre is a friend to everyone - young and old - and just wants to be able to walk normal and play again.
He is too young to live with chronic pain and deserves a chance to have his hip repaired.
As hard as it is to ask -- for Pierre's sake -- putting pride aside and ask for any donation you could give would be much appreciated and our prayers for him would be answered.
Specifically, the surgery would be later this year and the funds needed are for travel, medical bills over and above what insurance covers including Physical therapy when he exceeds his annual maximum, lodging and food, and all that an out of state extended stay and surgery entails.
In later years he will likely need a femoral head reshaping osteotomy and ultimately a hip replacement far earlier than most -- but this surgery will GREATLY improve his quality of life and allow him to enjoy his childhood for the next 5-7 years.
Again, it's hard to ask but pride aside when it is for Pierre who has been an absolute fighter over the last 2 years.
Thanks to all for reading.
Volker (VJ) & Christine (Pierre's Mom)
PS: In case you want to show your support proudly by having a Pierre SuPerman Shirt I have created a special Edt. for you and Pierre's Case. These Hanes T-Shirts are available in Kids, Women and Men sizes and are available in 2 different colors.
ORDER YOUR T-SHIRTS HERE !!
To Pierre's T-Shirt Campaign #PerthesIsNotMyKryptonite
Hashtags are:
#BringingPierresMojoBack
#TeamPierre
#PerthesIsNotMyKryptonite
The video below was the trip for his "last" surgery, when we've hoped for a better outcome. A lot of you, my friends in the automotive community wished us well and it really uplifted Pierre's spirit.
Here is how it all began:
At age 7 Pierre was a perfectly normal boy who could run and play. He came down with a severe limp, seemingly overnight, and he was diagnosed at University of Michigan Hospital with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease after a lot of testing and several hospital stays.
Perthes is a rare childhood orthopedic disease where blood supply gets cut off (for unknown reason) to the top of the femoral head. It eventually dies and collapses and the hip often falls out of joint. The femoral head usually grows back misshapen--causing early arthritis, poor range of motion and leaves kids immobilized and left out of most normal activities that kids do.
Since the diagnosis, Pierre had a hip distraction surgery in Florida -- to put his hip back in place, and he wore an external fixator and used a wheelchair and walker for 4 months.
He did hundreds of hours of physical therapy.
He then had a second surgery in Florida to remove the fixator. The surgery helped in putting the hip back into joint-- but unfortunately he developed calcifications within the soft tissue of hip joint and growth plate that will require removal and also to release of the soft tissues in the hip -- as he has developed a contracture -- to allow him to walk without a severe limp and lessen his pain.
Because Perthes is so rare and Pierre has a "complicated hip" and after consulting with pediatric orthopedic doctors in New Orleans, Houston, Florida, Baltimore and Lisbon, Portugal -- there are few specialists in the world equipped and experienced to do the surgery he needs.
He will need to go to Baltimore at Sinai Hospital for the operation and we must stay there for following surgery to do intensive physical therapy--which is essential to a successful outcome.
Still recovering financially from his surgery in Florida last year, medical bills beyond what insurance covers, and the usual routine of exceeding the allowed physical therapy visits under his insurance for the year -- we are reaching out to friends to help us with some of the costs, if at all possible.
Every parent wants the best life for their children and it would be a tragedy for him not to get his operation and continue on in pain, causing further damage to his joint.
Pierre is a friend to everyone - young and old - and just wants to be able to walk normal and play again.
He is too young to live with chronic pain and deserves a chance to have his hip repaired.
As hard as it is to ask -- for Pierre's sake -- putting pride aside and ask for any donation you could give would be much appreciated and our prayers for him would be answered.
Specifically, the surgery would be later this year and the funds needed are for travel, medical bills over and above what insurance covers including Physical therapy when he exceeds his annual maximum, lodging and food, and all that an out of state extended stay and surgery entails.
In later years he will likely need a femoral head reshaping osteotomy and ultimately a hip replacement far earlier than most -- but this surgery will GREATLY improve his quality of life and allow him to enjoy his childhood for the next 5-7 years.
Again, it's hard to ask but pride aside when it is for Pierre who has been an absolute fighter over the last 2 years.
Thanks to all for reading.
Volker (VJ) & Christine (Pierre's Mom)
PS: In case you want to show your support proudly by having a Pierre SuPerman Shirt I have created a special Edt. for you and Pierre's Case. These Hanes T-Shirts are available in Kids, Women and Men sizes and are available in 2 different colors.
ORDER YOUR T-SHIRTS HERE !!
To Pierre's T-Shirt Campaign #PerthesIsNotMyKryptonite
Hashtags are:
#BringingPierresMojoBack
#TeamPierre
#PerthesIsNotMyKryptonite
Organizer
Volker Jaeckel
Organizer
Lakewood, WA