Emma's first visit With Brothers David and Dalton,
after her bone Marrow Transplant in Boston.
EMMA ROUTH BENEFIT-
Unfortunately, U.S. government does not pay for the testing of Caucasian individuals, only that of the minority, to find a DONOR MATCH...Those costs are $54.00 per each individual tested.
http://palestineherald.com/local/x383293337/Giving-a-helpful-hand
July 3, 2010 Emma Routh benefit set Friday By CHERIL VERNON Palestine Herald-Press The Palestine Herald-Press Sat Jul 03, 2010, 10:54 PM CDT
A benefit to help 5-year-old Emma Routh, who suffers from a rare blood disorder, will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Museum for East Texas Culture.
In June 2008, at the age of 3, Emma was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia. The rare blood disorder is an inherited anemia that leads to bone marrow failure. The disorder causes her blood cells to make improper cells. Though primarily a blood disease, FA can affect all systems in the body and lead to other types of cancer. Emma spent fourth months in a Boston hospital after undergoing a successful bone marrow transplant in January. For the next 13 years, she will return to the hospital in Boston for annual checkups. Emma and her mother, Brandy Routh, returned to Palestine in May. But for the next year at least, Emma must travel to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas at least once a week and to Tyler two to four times a week for therapy.
“Basically we stay in the truck most of the time driving back and forth to therapy appointments in Dallas and Tyler. This week, we drove 800 miles. It takes a toll on all of us as well,” said Emma’s mom, Brandy Routh. “It depends on scheduling how many times we have to go to Tyler each week.”
Live bands performing for the Emma Routh benefit will include Alex Smith and the Thatcher brothers, Steven Callaway with Backseat Molly, and Sam Moore and Djing Casey Brown with CMB productions.
Drinks and food will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is $10 and includes five drawing tickets for prizes donated by area merchants. All other drawing tickets will be $2 to purchase for a chance to win one or more drawing baskets. Free t-shirts, koozies and door prizes will be given throughout the night. All proceeds will benefit Emma Routh and her family.
“I think it’s really great thing for the community to come together to support Emma,” Brandy said. “We really appreciate the hard work people have put in to help our family.”
Because of Emma’s weakened immune system, Emma has limited contact with people other than her immediate family, and is only able to play outside a few minutes a day. Emma also has two brothers, 8-year-old David and 2-year-old Dalton.
In an earlier interview with the Herald-Press, Brandy explained that her daughter would need growth injections which cost about $3,000 per month in addition to anti-rejection and other medications, some of which cost $2,500 for a two-month supply.
There are other expenses the family’s insurance will not cover, such as special UV protection clothing for Emma’s sensitive skin; and the costs associated with transporting Emma to treatment and therapy. The money for the medicine and other expenses that Medicaid doesn’t cover, Brandy tries to raise through fund-raisers for her daughter.
Brandy is currently living with her father, Keith Morton, in Montalba. However, due to SSI regulations, Brandy must find her own place to live in the next few weeks with Emma in order to keep her medical coverage.
“I have to do fundraisers to be able to get her back and forth to the doctors. With her health and her immune system, I can’t leave her for very long. There’s no way I can work with her condition,” Brandy said. “Some months, we are not sure how we are going to do it. If I don’t find a place the doctors approve of for Emma to live, and she loses her insurance, it’s going to be even worse.”
Since returning to Palestine, Emma has had to use a nasogastric feeding tube, though doctors hope to return her to regular feedings in a few months.
“She goes through two or three of those a week. She has no want to feed or hydrate herself, so we have to do it for her at night,” Brandy said. “This allows her to maintain her body weight and have enough nutrition to function.”
Emma lost her desire to eat during chemotherapy in Boston, when painful blisters in her mouth and throat made eating painful.
“Emma has had a hard time coming home because she is so limited — she is mainly confined to the house. She’s can’t do things like normal kids because she doesn’t have an immune system,” Brandy said. “What got us through during our time in Boston was the cards, letters and coloring books people sent her. I really want to thank everybody who sent cards and letters. To this day, she is excited to go the mailbox. Now that we are home and we still can’t go anywhere, cards and letters help her. It lets her know that there are still people out her that love and care about her.”
Brandy knows the road to getting her daughter healthy won’t be easy.
“ I know it’s not always going to be like this. A year or two down the road, maybe she can go to school and hopefully be a normal kid,” Brandy said. “Hopefully we’ve beat everything we can and if we haven’t, we will cross that road when we get to it.”
The upcoming benefit was organized by Jamie’s Therapeutic Touch Day Spa and Ram Auto Sound.
Sponsors and merchants who donated items for the benefit include: Jamie's therapeutic Touch Day Spa, Ram Auto Sound, Ben E. Keith, Dogwood Sales, Foster's Security, Nine Frog Real Estate, Sweet Dreams Winery, Island Tans, Joel’s Decorating , Hampton Inn and Suites, Round House Charlie Smith, Granny Muffin Wines, El Toro, Red Dirt Hurricane, Museum for East Texas Culture, Air Plus, Charles Dickens Fine Jewelry, KBHT 93.5, L & L Shoe Store, Nutri-Center, Walmart, Sherry's Gift Shop, Westmoreland Custom Designs, David Tidwell Electric, JT's Custom Catering, Verda's Flowers, Pardue Tree Service, Kenneth Bratz, A/B Computer Repair, Lonestar Athletic Designs, Mazzio's Pizza, Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant, Natalie Byrd Palestine Painted Cookie, Shep's BBQ, Melissa Wayne, Mopac Credit Union, Casey Brown, CMB Music Productions; Redwagon BBQ, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, Palestine Herald-Press, JR Muffler, David Scoggins construction, Eilenberger's Bakery , KYYK, Walmart Store No. 345, Walmart DC 6005, Walmart DC 6036, Walmart Transportation 6836, Unrestricted Rydaz, Michael Johnson Jumpin Jax Party Rental, Sam Moore, Anderson Hotshot, Red Hat Rentals, Michael Key Chiropractic, Natures Health, Sam Moore, Robert Moser and Allied Realtors.
Donations, drawing ticket items and cash donations are still being accepted. Volunteers are needed to set up the benefit on Friday. For more information, contact Jamie Pettiette-Rhone at 903-723-7546 or 903-948-7760.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BEING TESTED FOR DONOR MATCHING THE FOLLOWING LINK AVAILABLE WILL SEND YOU A KIT: DKMSamericas.org
Unfortunately, U.S. government does not pay for the testing of Caucasian individuals, only that of the minority, to find a DONOR MATCH...Those costs are $54.00 per each individual tested.
http://palestineherald.com/local/x383293337/Giving-a-helpful-hand
July 3, 2010 Emma Routh benefit set Friday By CHERIL VERNON Palestine Herald-Press The Palestine Herald-Press Sat Jul 03, 2010, 10:54 PM CDT
A benefit to help 5-year-old Emma Routh, who suffers from a rare blood disorder, will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Museum for East Texas Culture.
In June 2008, at the age of 3, Emma was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia. The rare blood disorder is an inherited anemia that leads to bone marrow failure. The disorder causes her blood cells to make improper cells. Though primarily a blood disease, FA can affect all systems in the body and lead to other types of cancer. Emma spent fourth months in a Boston hospital after undergoing a successful bone marrow transplant in January. For the next 13 years, she will return to the hospital in Boston for annual checkups. Emma and her mother, Brandy Routh, returned to Palestine in May. But for the next year at least, Emma must travel to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas at least once a week and to Tyler two to four times a week for therapy.
“Basically we stay in the truck most of the time driving back and forth to therapy appointments in Dallas and Tyler. This week, we drove 800 miles. It takes a toll on all of us as well,” said Emma’s mom, Brandy Routh. “It depends on scheduling how many times we have to go to Tyler each week.”
Live bands performing for the Emma Routh benefit will include Alex Smith and the Thatcher brothers, Steven Callaway with Backseat Molly, and Sam Moore and Djing Casey Brown with CMB productions.
Drinks and food will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is $10 and includes five drawing tickets for prizes donated by area merchants. All other drawing tickets will be $2 to purchase for a chance to win one or more drawing baskets. Free t-shirts, koozies and door prizes will be given throughout the night. All proceeds will benefit Emma Routh and her family.
“I think it’s really great thing for the community to come together to support Emma,” Brandy said. “We really appreciate the hard work people have put in to help our family.”
Because of Emma’s weakened immune system, Emma has limited contact with people other than her immediate family, and is only able to play outside a few minutes a day. Emma also has two brothers, 8-year-old David and 2-year-old Dalton.
In an earlier interview with the Herald-Press, Brandy explained that her daughter would need growth injections which cost about $3,000 per month in addition to anti-rejection and other medications, some of which cost $2,500 for a two-month supply.
There are other expenses the family’s insurance will not cover, such as special UV protection clothing for Emma’s sensitive skin; and the costs associated with transporting Emma to treatment and therapy. The money for the medicine and other expenses that Medicaid doesn’t cover, Brandy tries to raise through fund-raisers for her daughter.
Brandy is currently living with her father, Keith Morton, in Montalba. However, due to SSI regulations, Brandy must find her own place to live in the next few weeks with Emma in order to keep her medical coverage.
“I have to do fundraisers to be able to get her back and forth to the doctors. With her health and her immune system, I can’t leave her for very long. There’s no way I can work with her condition,” Brandy said. “Some months, we are not sure how we are going to do it. If I don’t find a place the doctors approve of for Emma to live, and she loses her insurance, it’s going to be even worse.”
Since returning to Palestine, Emma has had to use a nasogastric feeding tube, though doctors hope to return her to regular feedings in a few months.
“She goes through two or three of those a week. She has no want to feed or hydrate herself, so we have to do it for her at night,” Brandy said. “This allows her to maintain her body weight and have enough nutrition to function.”
Emma lost her desire to eat during chemotherapy in Boston, when painful blisters in her mouth and throat made eating painful.
“Emma has had a hard time coming home because she is so limited — she is mainly confined to the house. She’s can’t do things like normal kids because she doesn’t have an immune system,” Brandy said. “What got us through during our time in Boston was the cards, letters and coloring books people sent her. I really want to thank everybody who sent cards and letters. To this day, she is excited to go the mailbox. Now that we are home and we still can’t go anywhere, cards and letters help her. It lets her know that there are still people out her that love and care about her.”
Brandy knows the road to getting her daughter healthy won’t be easy.
“ I know it’s not always going to be like this. A year or two down the road, maybe she can go to school and hopefully be a normal kid,” Brandy said. “Hopefully we’ve beat everything we can and if we haven’t, we will cross that road when we get to it.”
The upcoming benefit was organized by Jamie’s Therapeutic Touch Day Spa and Ram Auto Sound.
Sponsors and merchants who donated items for the benefit include: Jamie's therapeutic Touch Day Spa, Ram Auto Sound, Ben E. Keith, Dogwood Sales, Foster's Security, Nine Frog Real Estate, Sweet Dreams Winery, Island Tans, Joel’s Decorating , Hampton Inn and Suites, Round House Charlie Smith, Granny Muffin Wines, El Toro, Red Dirt Hurricane, Museum for East Texas Culture, Air Plus, Charles Dickens Fine Jewelry, KBHT 93.5, L & L Shoe Store, Nutri-Center, Walmart, Sherry's Gift Shop, Westmoreland Custom Designs, David Tidwell Electric, JT's Custom Catering, Verda's Flowers, Pardue Tree Service, Kenneth Bratz, A/B Computer Repair, Lonestar Athletic Designs, Mazzio's Pizza, Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant, Natalie Byrd Palestine Painted Cookie, Shep's BBQ, Melissa Wayne, Mopac Credit Union, Casey Brown, CMB Music Productions; Redwagon BBQ, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, Palestine Herald-Press, JR Muffler, David Scoggins construction, Eilenberger's Bakery , KYYK, Walmart Store No. 345, Walmart DC 6005, Walmart DC 6036, Walmart Transportation 6836, Unrestricted Rydaz, Michael Johnson Jumpin Jax Party Rental, Sam Moore, Anderson Hotshot, Red Hat Rentals, Michael Key Chiropractic, Natures Health, Sam Moore, Robert Moser and Allied Realtors.
Donations, drawing ticket items and cash donations are still being accepted. Volunteers are needed to set up the benefit on Friday. For more information, contact Jamie Pettiette-Rhone at 903-723-7546 or 903-948-7760.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BEING TESTED FOR DONOR MATCHING THE FOLLOWING LINK AVAILABLE WILL SEND YOU A KIT: DKMSamericas.org