Fischers deal with rare condition
by Karin L. Nauber
When our children hurt, we hurt. When they are sick, we try to comfort them and make them feel better.
But when our child has a rare disease or problem sometimes it can feel overwhelming and difficult.
So it is for Missy (Kassube, formerly of Eagle Bend) and John Fischer. Their youngest son Jay was diagnosed with Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA) when he was four months old.
DBA is a rare form of anemia occurring in approximately one in 500,000.
“Jay is not able to produce his own red blood cells, (RBC),” shared Missy.
“When Jay was born he went into the NICU and they found out his hemoglobin was low. So they gave him a couple of transfusions then. They were thinking things were all good,” she said of the initial findings.
At his two-month well check, his pediatrician noticed he was very pale-looking even though he was acting fine.
“Since we see him every day we didn’t notice [the paleness],” she noted.
The hospital took his labs and admitted Jay immediately to the NICU again.
His hemoglobin was 1.9. It is supposed to be around 12!
Jay ended up being in NICU for three days because the doctors could not determine what was causing his hemoglobin to drop. . .
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