KINGSTON As you head out to enjoy your summer weekend, think about David Williamson and Isaac Tate. Youll not take your weekend for granted. And you may feel compelled to do something to help.
David, 3, was at Seattle Childrens Hospital July 30, preparing for surgery to remove his pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, appendix and a section of his small intestine, and then take insulin-producing cells from his pancreas and transplant them to his liver.
His father, Tim, and sister, Aleksys, also have pancreatitis and are undergoing tests to determine their next course of treatment. Meanwhile, Tim, an electrician, has been laid off and the familys medical insurance expires in November.
We have a mantra, mom Sheila Williamson said. One day at a time literally. Every time we have an issue, its one step at a time, one day at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time.
Isaac, a 10-year-old who likes baseball and plays piano, is undergoing treatment for epilepsy that resulted from encephalitis that developed when he was 6. He had a seizure lasting 15 minutes and was unconscious for two weeks. When he awakened, he didn't know who his parents were, could no longer walk and couldn't even tell you what a banana was, family friend Candace Gilkerson said.
After four years of therapy, Isaac is your typical 10-year-old boy, with one exception he has epilepsy, Gilkerson said. He now has to take nine pills every day for his various medical conditions which stemmed from that illness He recently was approved as a good candidate for brain surgery but his parents are unsure if they want to take that route just yet. The risks of surgery are too great.
From David and Isaacs courageous battles have emerged efforts that are helping others.
Davids parents started the Foundation for Childhood Pancreatitis (www.childhoodpancreatitis.org) to raise awareness about pancreatitis and connect parents with specialists, support groups and financial assistance.
And over the past two years, Chelsea Tate, Isaac's mom, has been an advocate for raising epilepsy awareness and has been a team leader in the Northwest Epilepsy Foundations run/walk for epilepsy. Shes raised thousands of dollars for the foundation.
But the medical challenges they face have taken a toll on these families.
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Their challenges inspire efforts