Articles from Dr. Fran Kendall, These articles from Dr. Kendall's website published here with permission. Virtual Medical Practice LLC.
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Gentle Interventions is an anonymous year round group of donors who help families of “Mitochondrial” children with support such as food, medical supplies, bills, medical co-pays, sounding boards and general family needs.
Mitochondrial disorder is a terminal disease that attacks the power plant of the body, mitochondrial DNA. Children with this disorder have both good DNA and bad DNA; the bad DNA attacks the good DNA and kills off organs in the body. Mito children in most cases have a feeding tube a bile exit tube, central port along with full grand maul seizures.
Medications for this disorder run thousands of dollars a month with co-pays as much as $300.00 a month for some medicines, of which most children are on as many as 21 medications a month; this however does not include the cost of co-pays for hospital stays, doctors visits, everyday items not covered by insurance at all. These children also require 24 hour monitoring, which in 99% of the cases is not covered by insurance.
Daily luxuries enjoyed by most everyone, such as a meal out, a night at the movies, a baseball game, shopping just because we want something, is NOT enjoyed by these families, because the funds do not exist in that household.
In most cases these children look “normal” on the outside, however just a few minutes with these children it is obvious that the “energy” cells in their bodies quickly deplete, leaving them in seizures or passed out where ever they are.
These children will never have a “normal” life; never experience a real childhood, as even the smallest of viruses can put them in Intensive Care units for days and weeks at a time!
Life expectancy for these children is very short, some as short as months from birth to 12 too 15 years of age. At present there are no known cures for this disorder.
Although Gentle-interventions primary focus is Mitochondrial Children, we try to assist any families with children who are ill and need assistance. There are so many childhood illnesses that financially effect the families, we have expanded our Secret Santa to as many families as possible.
Gentle-interventions is always looking for ways to raise money and items of need for these families and welcome any suggestions or donations from any group.