Eric
Eric says his experience has inspired him to pursue a career as a diabetes educator and counsellor.
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Madden is a bright and energetic seven-year-old who loves to play, especially with his big sister Everleigh.
And it’s thanks to Everleigh, the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and generous community support that Madden is with us today, full of fun and good cheer.
Following his birth, Madden had severe skin issues that no cream or treatment could soothe. In addition, he had seriously low platelets.
Physicians at the Alberta Children’s Hospital suspected that Madden had an immune disorder, making him vulnerable to infections. In fact, at the age of two, Madden caught a virus that normally, for most kids, would not be difficult to manage. But for Madden, the situation became critical. He was hospitalized and landed in the pediatric intensive care unit as his condition worsened.
After various tests were exhausted, the genetics team at the Alberta Children’s squeezed him into a research study and ran his DNA through donor-funded state-of-the-art Next Generation DNA sequencing technology, looking for abnormalities in his genes.
In a matter of days, physicians determined that Madden had a rare genetic disorder called IPEX (Immune Dysregulation Polyendocrinopathy Enteropathy X-linked) that can trigger uncontrolled immune responses. If left untreated, IPEX is fatal.
So, treat Madden’s IPEX they did and with the only cure that is available – a bone marrow transplant.
Thankfully his sister could become one of his donors and after two BMTs, Madden is now cured and carefree – thanks to the incredible care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
