PROVIDING MORE THAN JUST LIFE-SAVING CARE
When a rare bone marrow disease pushed young Rowan to the brink, BC Children’s Hospital provided exceptional treatment and peace of mind
Chris Loran describes his son, Rowan, as an old soul, “five going on 27”. There’s a reason the precocious kindergarten student seems wise beyond his years; he has been through a lot.
Just shy of his second birthday, Rowan endured a bone-marrow transplant, a life-saving treatment needed for a rare genetic immunodeficiency disorder.
It took some time for the Victoria family to get Rowan diagnosed with what’s known as Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Rare in females, there are between 1 and 10 cases per million worldwide.
Chris and his wife, Kirsten, noticed early on that their infant son bruised easily. They didn’t think much of it initially, given that she has a family history of low blood platelets.
However, the parents became especially concerned after Rowan contracted norovirus when he was 15 months old and had blood in his stool. They took him to Victoria General Hospital and ended up staying for 11 days.
During that time, the toddler’s platelet levels kept dropping. What makes this so serious is that platelets are required for blood to clot; without them, even a slight hit to the body could cause internal bleeding.
After being sent to Vancouver for tests and waiting four months for results, the family learned about Rowan’s condition. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome was inhibiting his bone marrow from producing enough platelets. Kirsten’s uncle had the same disorder years earlier. Sadly, he never got a diagnosis and died as a result.
The only cure is a bone-marrow transplant.
After a match from a bone-marrow donor was found, Rowan had the procedure on August 12, 2014 at BC Children’s Hospital. He was in hospital for two months, facing several complications, including respiratory problems and heartrate irregularities. For a time, there was some concern that his organs could fail.
He overcame challenge after challenge. The family stayed in Vancouver for an additional two months while he received treatment at BC Children’s as an outpatient.
Although it was an immensely worrying and difficult time for the family, Chris says that the exceptional care Rowan received helped ease their stress. They felt confident that their son was in good hands and that he would go on to be the joyful person he is today, a boy who loves being the centre of attention and who has already developed some sly negotiation skills (getting a Popsicle, for instance, at one of his recent regular checkups).
“Pediatric nurses and doctors are a special breed of people,” Chris says. “You have to have good bedside manner when you’re dealing with adults, but with kids, you have to find ways of talking to them. They turned something that could have been super traumatic and scary for him into something that wasn’t.”
“BC Children’s Hospital is something you hope you never have to use, but when you do, it’s good to know that world-class people are there for you,” he says. “Our experience there went so well.”
While Rowan’s condition is rare, the dedicated attention and treatment he received at BC Children’s is not.
Every year, more than 86,000 children rely on the life-saving care it provides. One in three kids is admitted because of a rare genetic condition.
The BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, meanwhile, has more than 1,000 affiliated researchers who work day in, day out to understand and treat childhood disorders and diseases.
One way to see kids like Rowan get the care they need and to have breakthroughs become reality is to support the Choices BC Children’s Hospital Lottery.
The 2018 Choices Lottery features seven multimillion-dollar Grand Prize Choices. They include a luxurious 3,672-square-foot White Rock home in a package worth more than $2.7 million, as well as a package comprising a spectacular two-bedroom False Creek condo at NAVÍO at the Creek and an ocean-view cottage at SookePoint. Then there’s the option of walking away with $2.2 million cash—tax free. Final deadline is midnight on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
The Early Bird Draw, meanwhile, features a choice of prizes such as vacations for life, a vacation property at Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, or $250,000 cash.
Choices Lottery tickets start at 3 for $100. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 604-692-2333 or 1-888887-8771, online at bcchildren.com, or in person at any London Drugs or SaveOn Foods location.