Aiden's fight for life
We Love you Aiden!
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Aiden walking after his surgery May 17th, 2013
A long medical journey
By Denise M. Baran-Unland Correspondent May 3, 2013 3:28PM
http://heraldnews.suntimes.com
When you learn your 6-year-old child is bleeding internally on a day when communities are in turmoil due to torrential rains and flooding, the last thing a mother wants on her mind is whether insurance will pay for a broken nebulizer or the emergency helicopter ride to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
But Angela Corcoran, 22, formerly of Morris, has been so busy taking care of Aiden, who also suffers from cystic fibrosis, all she can do is wait for the bills to arrive and take it from there. So family and friends have created an “Aiden’s Fight” donation page at www.giveforward.com to help cover any medical expenses insurance won’t cover.
“He handled everything really well,” Corcoran, of Streator, said of Aiden. “The best part is that he doesn’t remember any of it, except taking out the IVs and breathing tube.”
The trouble began when Aiden swelled up after starting an antibiotic for a strep infection. Corcoran thought it was an allergic reaction and immediately brought Aiden back to the doctor.
But the swelling was due to a failing liver. The dark stool that Aiden had been producing, which Angela took as a sign that Aiden’s cystic fibrosis was improving, was actually silent bleeding from Aiden’s stomach and esophagus.
After receiving a blood transfusion and undergoing tests, doctors initially thought Aiden had a blood clot in a major vessel between his liver and heart. They also thought Aiden would require a liver transplant.
But at the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, a liver biopsy and scans showed Aiden actually had cirrhosis, which affects some individuals with cystic fibrosis.
The bleeding was caused by his damaged liver trying to find a new pathway for its blood supply. Instead of reaching Aiden’s heart, it branched out into his throat and stomach and caused the internal bleeding.
With the use of an endoscope, a clamp was placed on Aiden’s esophagus to stop the bleeding. That clamp will need to be replaced in four weeks. Medication halted the stomach bleeding.
The good news is Aiden does not have blood clots or need a liver transplant. However, Aiden is facing surgery to place a stent to reroute the blood flow from the liver to his heart in a more positive way.
Unfortunately, this now means Corcoran will be unable to participate in Great Strides Joliet, a walk to raise research money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Last year, Corcoran not only supported the walk, she held a pre-event fundraiser to bring in even more needed funds.
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org), children with this disease produce thick mucus that clogs the lungs, obstructs breathing, causes frequent and persistent coughing and increases the odds for life-threatening infections.
Cystic fibrosis also inhibits the pancreas from producing the natural enzymes that aid in digestion and absorbing nutrients. As a result, children grow very slowly. A postural vest is worn several times a day to “shake” mucus from their lungs.
The best diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis is the sweat test. This measures the amount of chloride in the skin. First, a chemical to cause sweating is placed on an arm or leg. Next, the sweat is collected onto a piece of filter paper or gauze or in a plastic coil.
By the time Aiden, who had been born prematurely, was 6 months old, he was chronically congested. At first, his pediatrician thought Aiden had asthma, especially since Aiden’s lips often turned blue and he struggled to breathe when he was lying down.
However, when Aiden’s five-year checkup showed he’d lost two pounds that year instead of gaining weight, a sweat test was ordered, which was positive for cystic fibrosis.
Daily treatment with a nebulizer dispensing three medications has kept Aiden’s number of lung infections low. He’s only had four in the past two years, unusual for a cystic fibrosis patient, Corcoran said.
Coping with Aiden’s discomfort can be hard, so Corcoran relies on support from family and friends and even Aiden’s “amazing strength.” Aiden also battles migraines and fatigue so crippling it keeps him from bike riding, swimming and playing outside with his friends or inside with his sister, Ella, 2, activities Aiden was thoroughly enjoying last year.
“He’s so tired, he hardly plays anymore,” Corcoran said. “But he’s one of the smartest little boys I’ve ever met.”
By Denise M. Baran-Unland Correspondent May 3, 2013 3:28PM
http://heraldnews.suntimes.com
When you learn your 6-year-old child is bleeding internally on a day when communities are in turmoil due to torrential rains and flooding, the last thing a mother wants on her mind is whether insurance will pay for a broken nebulizer or the emergency helicopter ride to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
But Angela Corcoran, 22, formerly of Morris, has been so busy taking care of Aiden, who also suffers from cystic fibrosis, all she can do is wait for the bills to arrive and take it from there. So family and friends have created an “Aiden’s Fight” donation page at www.giveforward.com to help cover any medical expenses insurance won’t cover.
“He handled everything really well,” Corcoran, of Streator, said of Aiden. “The best part is that he doesn’t remember any of it, except taking out the IVs and breathing tube.”
The trouble began when Aiden swelled up after starting an antibiotic for a strep infection. Corcoran thought it was an allergic reaction and immediately brought Aiden back to the doctor.
But the swelling was due to a failing liver. The dark stool that Aiden had been producing, which Angela took as a sign that Aiden’s cystic fibrosis was improving, was actually silent bleeding from Aiden’s stomach and esophagus.
After receiving a blood transfusion and undergoing tests, doctors initially thought Aiden had a blood clot in a major vessel between his liver and heart. They also thought Aiden would require a liver transplant.
But at the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, a liver biopsy and scans showed Aiden actually had cirrhosis, which affects some individuals with cystic fibrosis.
The bleeding was caused by his damaged liver trying to find a new pathway for its blood supply. Instead of reaching Aiden’s heart, it branched out into his throat and stomach and caused the internal bleeding.
With the use of an endoscope, a clamp was placed on Aiden’s esophagus to stop the bleeding. That clamp will need to be replaced in four weeks. Medication halted the stomach bleeding.
The good news is Aiden does not have blood clots or need a liver transplant. However, Aiden is facing surgery to place a stent to reroute the blood flow from the liver to his heart in a more positive way.
Unfortunately, this now means Corcoran will be unable to participate in Great Strides Joliet, a walk to raise research money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Last year, Corcoran not only supported the walk, she held a pre-event fundraiser to bring in even more needed funds.
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org), children with this disease produce thick mucus that clogs the lungs, obstructs breathing, causes frequent and persistent coughing and increases the odds for life-threatening infections.
Cystic fibrosis also inhibits the pancreas from producing the natural enzymes that aid in digestion and absorbing nutrients. As a result, children grow very slowly. A postural vest is worn several times a day to “shake” mucus from their lungs.
The best diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis is the sweat test. This measures the amount of chloride in the skin. First, a chemical to cause sweating is placed on an arm or leg. Next, the sweat is collected onto a piece of filter paper or gauze or in a plastic coil.
By the time Aiden, who had been born prematurely, was 6 months old, he was chronically congested. At first, his pediatrician thought Aiden had asthma, especially since Aiden’s lips often turned blue and he struggled to breathe when he was lying down.
However, when Aiden’s five-year checkup showed he’d lost two pounds that year instead of gaining weight, a sweat test was ordered, which was positive for cystic fibrosis.
Daily treatment with a nebulizer dispensing three medications has kept Aiden’s number of lung infections low. He’s only had four in the past two years, unusual for a cystic fibrosis patient, Corcoran said.
Coping with Aiden’s discomfort can be hard, so Corcoran relies on support from family and friends and even Aiden’s “amazing strength.” Aiden also battles migraines and fatigue so crippling it keeps him from bike riding, swimming and playing outside with his friends or inside with his sister, Ella, 2, activities Aiden was thoroughly enjoying last year.
“He’s so tired, he hardly plays anymore,” Corcoran said. “But he’s one of the smartest little boys I’ve ever met.”
