My name is Kristi Watson.My husband Randy and I have an 11 year old daughter named Lindsay.We tried for many year's
to have another child ,with no luck.Finially we did In-Vitro
Fertilization and were blessed with our little miracle on
the first try!
Jenna Leigh Watson was born on January 13th. 1999.
Everything was wonderful.Jenna was born healthy and beautiful,with no complication's.
When we took Jenna in for her 6 month check up they told us her head was growing off the chart's so they did a sonogram to make sure she didn't have water on her brain.She did not. They told us not to worry.
At Jenna's 9 month check up we had been to the doctor so many time's, for cold's and ear infection's that wouldn't clear up and concern's about her noisy breathing,that I was sure they thought I was neurotic.Finially our family doctor sent us to the pediatrician's office.Within 20 miniute's he determined that Jenna had a heart murmer,an enlarged liver and a (generous) spleen.He wanted to test her for something called "Hurler Syndrome".After two agonizing week's we found out the result's were positive, Jenna has Hurler's Syndrome.We had never even heard of this before!
Jenna's little body is lacking an essential enzyme needed to break up mucopolysaccharides(sugar molecules),Without the enzyme, these sugar molecules start building up in the child's cell's causing severe damage to the brain, heart,liver and spleen.As time goes on this progresses and the child will die from either respiratory failure or heart complication's.
We were told to take our beautiful baby home,love her and watch her become severely handicapped,mentally retarded and then die a miserable death.
Then we found HOPE!!
Through family's we have met online we found out that there is hope for these children!Bone Marrow Transplant's are being done to give these children the enzyme from a healthy donor!This is very risky with only a 50% chance of survival,but after much consideration we have decided it is Jenna's only hope.Without a BMT Jenna's chance of survival is 0%. So our search is underway for a bone marrow donor.We are having Jenna's transplant at U.C.San Francisco.We really need all of the prayer we can get. Please pray that we find a donor as soon as possible.The younger Jenna is when she is transplanted, the less amount of damage can be done to her little body! Thank you for your prayer's!
The Watson Family
