Help Lucas: Recurrent Cerebral AVM
Donation protected
Lucas Bowie is a charming 11 year old boy whose battle for his life began on April 15th, 2013 when he was only 8 years old. Luke became extremely ill. After numerous visits to the pediatrician and emergency room, medical staff at the hospital were baffled. On April 18th, 2013 Luke was finally admitted to the hospital for observation and almost immediately began to have a grand mal seizure. A CT scan was ordered and it was discovered that Luke had an aneurysm and his brain had hemorrhaged. Luke was rushed to KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas from his local hospital.
Luke’s family quickly learned that his bleed was caused by a grade 4 AVM (arteriovenous malformation) which is a congenital birth defect. An AVM is basically a cluster of vessels in the body that are tangled and twisted. Luke’s AVM was located in his right temporal lobe near the basal ganglia with deep feeding vessels. An AVM is often referred to as a time bomb, since they often go undiagnosed until a person experiences a bleed. AVM’s are also a rare condition which makes them difficult to diagnose.
The neurological staff at KU took lifesaving measures to help Luke, beginning by placing an external ventricular drain to relieve his cranial pressure. Luke spent several days on a ventilator and three weeks in the hospital being closely monitored and undergoing a number of procedures and tests.
Luke’s family was told that his AVM was quite large and difficult to access so surgery was not an option. They recommended radiation to reduce and possibly eradicate the AVM. The radiologist met with his family to tell them that radiation would likely cause necrosis of the brain (dead brain tissue). Luke’s family found a specialist in Phoenix Arizona who reviewed his records and said that he could surgically remove the AVM with low risk. His family traveled with him to meet the surgeon in June of 2013 and Luke underwent a fourteen hour embolization and craniotomy. He recovered without deficit and healed!
In children, AVM’s can grow back, or regenerate if there are vessels missed during resection. On November 12, 2015 Luke had his first angiogram since his surgery in 2013. The results were not what he or his family had hoped for: Luke has an AVM again.
Luke’s family hopes to return to Phoenix with him to see the specialist that performed his original surgery. His parents are hard-working blue collar people who have limited paid time from work to care for Luke.
Any funds raised here or elsewhere will be used for travel expenses to and from specialists, medical costs (including brain surgery), and other costs related to helping Lucas recover from his nightmare.
Luke and his family are big soccer fans -- they've had Sporting Kansas City season tickets for years. During Luke's first ordeal, Sporting KC heard about Lucas and sent his favorite player to the hospital to meet him (they did so much for Lucas!). Sporting KC wrote about Luke and I wanted to share this link with you:
Overcoming All Odds: Sporting Club Network athlete tells story of perseverance
Please help my nephew, Lucas. He is such a wonderful little boy -- loving, intelligent, athletic, and kind. After his first brain surgery, Luke and his neurosurgeon started writing to eachother. His traumatic experience at such a young age has shaped his future goals. Now, Luke wants to be a neurosurgeon when he grows up so he can help others like his neurosurgeon has helped him.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Lucas, and please keep Lucas in your thoughts and prayers.
Luke’s family quickly learned that his bleed was caused by a grade 4 AVM (arteriovenous malformation) which is a congenital birth defect. An AVM is basically a cluster of vessels in the body that are tangled and twisted. Luke’s AVM was located in his right temporal lobe near the basal ganglia with deep feeding vessels. An AVM is often referred to as a time bomb, since they often go undiagnosed until a person experiences a bleed. AVM’s are also a rare condition which makes them difficult to diagnose.
The neurological staff at KU took lifesaving measures to help Luke, beginning by placing an external ventricular drain to relieve his cranial pressure. Luke spent several days on a ventilator and three weeks in the hospital being closely monitored and undergoing a number of procedures and tests.
Luke’s family was told that his AVM was quite large and difficult to access so surgery was not an option. They recommended radiation to reduce and possibly eradicate the AVM. The radiologist met with his family to tell them that radiation would likely cause necrosis of the brain (dead brain tissue). Luke’s family found a specialist in Phoenix Arizona who reviewed his records and said that he could surgically remove the AVM with low risk. His family traveled with him to meet the surgeon in June of 2013 and Luke underwent a fourteen hour embolization and craniotomy. He recovered without deficit and healed!
In children, AVM’s can grow back, or regenerate if there are vessels missed during resection. On November 12, 2015 Luke had his first angiogram since his surgery in 2013. The results were not what he or his family had hoped for: Luke has an AVM again.
Luke’s family hopes to return to Phoenix with him to see the specialist that performed his original surgery. His parents are hard-working blue collar people who have limited paid time from work to care for Luke.
Any funds raised here or elsewhere will be used for travel expenses to and from specialists, medical costs (including brain surgery), and other costs related to helping Lucas recover from his nightmare.
Luke and his family are big soccer fans -- they've had Sporting Kansas City season tickets for years. During Luke's first ordeal, Sporting KC heard about Lucas and sent his favorite player to the hospital to meet him (they did so much for Lucas!). Sporting KC wrote about Luke and I wanted to share this link with you:
Overcoming All Odds: Sporting Club Network athlete tells story of perseverance
Please help my nephew, Lucas. He is such a wonderful little boy -- loving, intelligent, athletic, and kind. After his first brain surgery, Luke and his neurosurgeon started writing to eachother. His traumatic experience at such a young age has shaped his future goals. Now, Luke wants to be a neurosurgeon when he grows up so he can help others like his neurosurgeon has helped him.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Lucas, and please keep Lucas in your thoughts and prayers.
Organizer and beneficiary
David Denton
Organizer
Savannah, MO
Holly Bowie
Beneficiary
