Kaiden Thomas - Familial HLH Diagnosis
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Danielle & I’m raising funds for my 4 month old son Kaiden who was diagnosed with Familial HLH on 10/30/23 at Geisinger, Danville. It all started with a fever back in the beginning of October which turned into E-Coli/Sepsis & then shortly after with some genetic testing we found out it was something else, something we never heard of before. (HLH) Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.
- Familial HLH - Is an immune deficiency disorder. In this type of disorder the immune system is missing or defective… meaning the body can’t fight off infections as it should. With HLH certain white blood cells (T lymphocytes & macrophages) are not able to be switched off and build up in the organs including the skin, spleen & liver. These cells then destroy other blood cells such as red blood cells, platelets & neutrophils along with causing damage to affected organs. Primary/Familial HLH is caused by an inherited mutation in both copies of an HLH gene from their parent.
- Treatment - Suppressing the overactive immune system, with a combination or steroids & chemotherapy to put the disease in remission. After this initial treatment children undergo a stem cell transplant (BMT) replacing their defective immune system with a healthy one from a donor match. This offers the best chance at a cure!
Organizer and beneficiary
Danielle Feaster
Organizer
Montgomery, PA
Jason Thomas
Beneficiary