Fighting Aplastic Anemia
|  Video
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| Anne Kelly |
| 9/28/2009 |
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| Most 6-year-olds spent the day in school, learning how to read and write and running around on the playground. But there`s a Baldwin boy who is missing out on all that. Braden Brown has been spending most of his time in and out of the hospital. While he looks healthy, he`s anything but. It`s another day at the doctor`s for six-year-old Braden Brown. He`s usually here twice a week, for hours at a time. Headaches and low energy are all part of a much bigger health problem. Braden has Aplastic Anemia. He was suddenly diagnosed with it two months ago, after years of being perfectly healthy. "One day we just noticed he was getting a lot of bruising, more than usual," says Paula Brown, Braden`s mother. "So Dad took him in and they did some blood tests and they found out his white cells, red cells and platelets were critically low." Because Braden`s body has stopped producing red and white blood cells on its own. Braden underwent immunotherapy recently in the hopes the procedure will jump start his stem cells into working. His family won`t know if the outcome for another six weeks. If the immunotherapy doesn`t work. The next option is to try a bone marrow transplant if a match can be found. A lot of uncertainties for a boy who has already had his life turned upside down. Because he doesn`t have a strong immune system for fighting off sickness, he can`t go out in public anymore, to the mall, the movies, and if he does travel anywhere, he has to where a face mask. "He`s missing school, but I think he`s young enough where he still lives day by day so I think main concerns are `Where`s my Nintendo game, what`s for lunch, when`s Spongebob on next?` We farm so he loves to ride with dad, they take the truck to haul grain," says Paula. "I like to crawl on haybails too and jump around and try to break them," says Braden. But he can`t do that anymore either. He bruises and bleeds too easily for most normal six-year-old activities. "I can`t ride my go cart," says Braden. "I got the go cart for my own birthday and I can`t ride it." A legitimate concern, but also a relief. Between the blood transfusions and bone marrow biopsies, Braden is most worried about his lack of playtime. To help with the Brown`s medical bills, a pancake breakfast benefit is being held on Sunday. The help defray the costs the Brown`s have incurred from medical fees and travel, BioLife Plasma Services, along with Thrivent Financial, is sponsoring a pancake and sausage benefit, along with a silent auction. The event is this Sunday, October 4th and will be held at the Bismarck Moose, 312 N. 20th Street. It will run from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. |
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