William Seymour, our smiley, sassy, and adventurous baby boy, has had quite the adventure this past month. What started out as symptoms of teething (fever, irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc.), rapidly got worse with consistent vomiting and severe dehydration. His skin had turned yellow and his lips, white. Based on initial labs, William's red blood cell and platelet counts were critically low and we were advised to head to the Emergency Room. After 14 hours in the emergency room, we were finally admitted to Riley Hospital for Children to run more tests.

After several tests and 3 days of waiting and praying for answers, William was officially diagnosed with a condition called hemolytic and uremic syndrome (HUS). His specific case of HUS was caused by an exposure to a rare form of E. coli with the Shiga Toxin, where the toxins intrude the thin layer of tissue around blood vessels resulting in massive cell death and kidney failure. Due to testing positive for this toxin, our family was in isolation for almost 2 weeks while we waited for William's little body to fight and pass this toxin on his own.

Our hearts break every day, over and over again with the dread of the unknown and lack of answers. It feels as if we are living in limbo, trying to hold on to hope yet being realistic in the sense that we may have a long road ahead of us. At the beginning, doctors told us to "buckle up" as this disease is fickle and unpredictable. And boy, were they right.

Days turned to weeks, and the weeks have turned into a month in the hospital trying to find answers as to why William is still not improving even after the toxin had left his body. One day we would receive good news, then the next, we would be hit with another issue arising. It feels as if we keep getting hit with wave after wave with no end in sight. As of today, William has received 7 blood transfusions, 12 days of dialysis, and two surgeries in hopes to repair the damage to his kidneys and replace all of the blood cells he has lost. And even after all of this, we still don't have answers as to why William's red blood cell and platelet counts continue to decrease rapidly.

We now have a team of amazing doctors studying William's case and working tirelessly to come up with a definitive plan. Until then, we hope to be home soon as we continue to search for answers on how to kick this HUS in the butt and get our boy back to healthy! The future remains uncertain as the doctors continue to determine whether or not William's diagnosis is acute or chronic as well as the possibility if HUS is the only cause or if this could be the beginning of a longer journey. Your generosity, support, and continued prayers are a big part of what keeps us going and are so appreciated as we navigate this journey with our William.

Kelsey, Kenn, Warren and William Seymour

#WillPower