Celebration 2008...be the miracle - Gundersen Health System

Seeing Alexsis Larry’s happy grin
today, it’s hard to imagine the cheerful
3-year-old confronts a serious
illness every day: cystic fibrosis, a
genetic disease affecting the lungs
and pancreas. Two weeks after her
Feb. 28, 2005 birth, James and
Dana Larry were stunned to learn
their seemingly healthy baby was very
ill. But the family bounced back quickly
from the unexpected report, developing a routine that keeps
Alexsis healthy. Twice daily, Alexsis uses a SmartVest, a machine
that shakes mucus from her lungs. She takes pancreatic enzyme
caplets, a multivitamin and an acid reducer, in addition to
drinking two pediasures and eating a high calorie diet every day.
Because of her weak immune system, Alexsis gets sick easily and
takes longer to recover than most, so Dana must stay home from
work to avoid placing Alexsis in a risky daycare setting. Traveling
an hour each way from their Viroqua home to appointments in
La Crosse, transportation costs alone, not to mention other costs
associated with Alexsis’s illness, stretched the family’s funds. But
money the Larrys received from CMN helped the family keep
the focus where it should be: on their daughter, their own little
miracle.
round trips from Minnesota City to the hospital and food
vouchers provided nutritious meal options. During an emotional
roller coaster, CMN continues to be a steady helping hand.
At 18 months, Carson McCormick appeared
to be a happy, healthy and extremely
intelligent little boy. He
already knew his numbers, colors
and shapes and could repeat
everything his parents, Jaine and
Mike, said. After hearing a song
once, he could sing it back perfectly.
He could repeat the scripts of
entire TV shows he’d seen only once.
The McCormicks didn’t realize Carson’s behaviors were telltale
signs of something serious. In November 2005, Carson was diagnosed
with autism. The McCormicks were devastated. But,
with money from CMN, the family was able to purchase occupational
therapy tools, such as tactile balls, a lycra swing, building
boards and oral motor blocks that make a huge difference in
teaching Carson coping skills for everyday life. At 5 years old,
active and outgoing Carson is in a normal preschool setting, no
longer just coping, but thriving.
When Kathryn and Elizabeth Girtler
came into the world a month early
on Sept. 10, 2007, parents Brett
and Michele were relieved their
twins, who each weighed only
three pounds, were seemingly
healthy. But happiness turned to
dread when the Girtlers quickly
learned something was wrong. Their
12-hour-old infants were ambulanced
from Winona to Gundersen Lutheran
in La Crosse due to extremely low
blood platelets and low hemoglobin.
Neither had any clotting
agents, which meant a bump to
the head could result in their
bleeding to death. The cause of the
low levels was unknown, but doctors
hoped and expected platelet levels
would slowly rise to normal. They did,
until the girls recently fell ill with respiratory syncytial virus, or
RSV. Platelet levels that had been rising with promise plummeted
and the twins were hospitalized for a month. For the
Girtlers, CMN provided hope when there was little to be hopeful
about. Gas money covered the family’s frequent two-hour
Like most 17-year-olds, Cady Johnson
was busy planning for graduation
and college during her senior year
in high school. She and her family
were shocked when a small lump
on her throat stopped the planning
and changed their lives forever.
On Dec. 10, 2007, Cady was
diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Since her diagnosis, the Blair,
Wis., teenager has begun a series of six 28-day treatment cycles,
during which she receives chemotherapy eight times and spends
14 days on a variety of oral medication. During 10 of those 28
days, Cady’s white blood cell count drops so low that she often
spends it in isolation, so that she won’t get sick from others.
Though she has good days and bad, Cady and her family try to
stay upbeat—a task made easier by CMN. The money the family
received from CMN helped the Johnsons purchase Cady a
wig, pay for the expensive medication, and put gas in the car for
travel to and from appointments.
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