Updates on Donald

Second Update

07/02/2006

It has been a very a very challenging 7 or so months since my son Donald has been diagnosed with the rare blood disorder Aplastic Anemia. After graduating from college on December 10th he was diagnosed with the condition 5 days later. Donald was originally treated at his hospital Candler-St. Joseph Hospital in Savannah, Ga. He was then recommended by his primary-care physician to be treated by doctors more familiar with Aplastic Anemia at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. for further treatment.

His initial treatments with chemotherapy at NIH were a challenge but he made it through without any major problems. The real challenge for him after being released was to steer clear of germs because after being treated his white blood cell counts were dangerously low. For those who don't know, the white blood cells are responsible to fight infections throughout the body. With that understanding we went through the good times of Donald getting back to a rather "normal" life but we also went through days when at the first sign of a fever he had to check himself back into the hospital for up to 8 days to receive antibiotics to fight infections.

On our three month follow-up appointment with his doctors at NIH in March they indicated that they were not satisfied with his recovery and presented the idea of going with another round of treatment but with a different and stronger type of drug therapy. As a family we took that information but held out hope that he would begin to respond given a bit more time. Meanwhile Donald continued to receive red blood cells and platelets as needed from his physician and medical staff in Savannah. We returned to Bethesda for his 6 month follow-up in late June and were presented once again with what doctors thought was inevitable; follow up treatments.

What started as a "routine" one day visit turned into Donald being admitted to NIH right on the spot. We knew that the treatment would be for 5 days with another 5 days of observation due to the type and side effects of the medication. By his own choice Donald decided that if we were going to do it, let's get it over and done with! He could have put off the treatment for days or even weeks but I think he was looking at presenting his father for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in early August but also beginning his graduate school studies in late August at Hampton University in Virginia.

Going through these medical experiences as Donald's "wing man" my respect and admiration for him grows as I see first hand what he has to go through each day as a patient. As a football player I knew of my own toughness and high threshold for pain but I don't think I could hold Donald's jockstrap. He has been through a lot as an athlete but this battle is different. It's about bone marrow biopsies, long and short needles, severe chills and high fevers within the span of minutes because of the drugs I had never heard of before now being transfused into him to help jumpstart his marrow to get back into the business of manufacturing blood cells. It's about a 23 year old spending his summer days in hospitals.

Since late last year we've been on the roller coaster of ups and downs and now we are back at "square one". We are once again starting from the beginning but we are not looking back at what didn't happen but instead we're focusing on the future. The next three months will be crucial in Donald's recovery from this treatment. We continue to thank you for your support and prayers.

Update on Donald

02/01/2006

I want to take a minute to thank everyone for their support and prayers in regard to my son’s medical condition. Since he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in mid-December we have received an outpouring of support and well wishes from extended family members, friends, associates and even strangers. Many of those people I’ve met in passing from around the country know of Donald’s condition either from me or heard about Donald’s condition from various media sources. To all of you who have asked your friends, family members and churches to pray for Donald and my family I offer my sincere gratitude.

The doctors, nurses and medical treatments he has received at his hospitals in Savannah, GA., Florence, SC and at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD have been excellent. And in spite of a month and a half of hospital beds, IVs, medications and lots of ESPN’s Sports Center, Donald remains strong, positive and very upbeat about the situation. Most importantly, with his strong faith, he looks forward clearing this ‘bump in the road’ and helping others in the future who are affected by this condition”