First Posted: May 27, 2010
Name: Andrew
Age: 6 years old
Location: Missouri, USA
Diagnosis: Sensory Processing Disorder/Sensory Integration Disorder
Loan Sought: $2,000
Loan Needed For: HBOT [hyperbaric oxygen therapy] dives
Repayment Terms: 18 monthly payments ($111/month)
Other Notes: Andrew's mom, Dana, writes, "Andrew was born 15 weeks prematurely due to complications from Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. He weighed a whopping 16.7oz at birth. We spent 4 1/2 months in the NICU where Andrew survived multiple surgeries, blood transfusions, infections, a pulmonary hemorrhage, brain bleed, spinal tap and many, many pokes, prods and scopes. We left the NICU without oxygen or monitors, but with a feeding tube, blossoming sensory issues and a plethora of gut issues.
Over the next year and a half or two we had projectile vomiting issues. At every feeding. Andrew would writhe in pain in my arms while I fed him through his g-tube until he eventually checked out and went to sleep. When his sister was born the December after Andrew came home, I was spending 10 hours a day sitting on the couch feeding him, hoping that putting his formula in at a drip would prevent the horrible pain and vomiting. I continued to follow the traditional doctors' orders and feed Andrew formula-enriched breast milk and then straight formula. We tried every formula out there including elemental formulas that supposedly contain no allergens. Finally a new occupational therapist told me about the blenderized diet and introduced me to a Yahoo group of moms who were feeding their children REAL FOOD.
Once we started on the real food, the vomiting began to improve. And Andrew grew and felt better. You could see it in his skin color and in his eyes. But we started having new problems with mucus pooling in his stomach and causing a new kind of vomiting. Andrew had a near-constant post-nasal drip that also caused him to gag and throw up. One of the moms on the blenderized diet group told me about digestive enzymes and the gluten-free/casein-free (GFCF) diet. This was our introduction into the biomedical world and it has changed our lives. We've learned to recognize what foods Andrew can't tolerate and that increase his mucus production. We now rotate his foods and are working on trying to get him to eat with his mouth. We use dye-free, scent-free, natural detergents and cleansers, and we have a pretty good supplement routine down.
Andrew's brain bleed has attributed to his Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and global delays. He also has low muscle tone, so chewing and swallowing are difficult for him. He can swallow instinctively but cannot swallow on command. Writing, cutting and anything using fine motor skills are VERY, VERY hard for him. We're wanting to explore hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to see if it can aid in repairing some of the damaged cells. Our new DAN doctor has a soft-sided chamber in her office and believes that it would be very beneficial to him. Andrew is truly our miracle child. We want to give him chance possible."
Special Note: Andrew's mom, Dana, has been a long-time, and very active, Lend4Health lender and supporter. Most of the children on Lend4Health have benefited from one of Dana's loans!
Reference Provided By: Petra S. and the office of Andrew's DAN doctor.
To make a loan for Andrew, click on the "ChipIn" button below or at the top of the page. It will take you to PayPal. If the ChipIn widget does not work for you, you can use PayPal (www.paypal.com) to send your loan to lend4health@gmail.com and note that it is for Andrew.
Please read and/or print this disclaimer about your loan.
Andrew's Community of Lenders [not updated real-time]:
Kathryn: $100
Karen F: $25
Rachel: $10
Chrissy: $10
Jenie: $50
Sue: $25
Amy: $10
Michael L: $10
Angelique: $5
Emma: $25
--Andrew's mom, Dana, saved $20 for his HBOT. The ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $20.--
Megan: $25
Jeanne & Charlie: $50 ["Much love to you Dana and Andrew!! We'll get this loan funded ASAP! <3 Jeanne and Charlie"]
Petra: $50 ["From my gang to yours, with love..xoxo"]
Cathleen: $50
Bonnie (Jaden C's mom): $5
Grandma Gini: $10 ["Memorial Day"]
Karen F (again): $5 [Cinco de Linco]
Grandma Gini (again): $5 [Happy Cinco de Linco]
Karen T: $5 [Cinco de Linco]
Karen F (again): $5 [Cinco de Linco]
Dr. Matt: $100 [Partially from re-loan of Gabriel & Christopher's repaid loan]
Petra (again): $5 ["Happy cinco de Linco (a bit late..)"]
Renee: $10 [Re-loaned from Gabriel & Christopher's repaid loan] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $10.
--Andrew's mom, Dana, is saving $5 that she received from Tatum's repaid loan to her. The ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $5.--
Renee (again): $5 [Re-allocated from Will's closed loan] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $5.
Renee (again): $5 [Re-loaned from Levi's repaid loan] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $5.
Grandma Gini (again): $10 ["Celebrates the 4th birthday of Ethan Robert Blankenship on Aug. 7, 20l0. CHEERS!!!"]
Sheri: $55 [Re-allocated from Will's closed loan] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $55.
--Andrew's mom, Dana, saved $20 for his HBOT. The ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $20.--
Karen F (again): $5 [Re-loaned from Joseph T's repaid loan; September Cinco de Linco!] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn widget goal amount has been reduced by $5.
Grandma Gini (again): $10 ["In memory of Vicki Hess who would have been 66 on Sept. 2, 20l0. (from Irene's repaid loan)"]












