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Our Kids - Meet Baden

Imagine not being able to hug your child. Most parents take it for granted, but for Joanne, every hug she is able to give her young son Baden, makes her realize how fortunate she is thanks to SickKids.

Baden
Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome

Baden was two weeks old when he first started getting sick. After suffering from bleeding problems and countless infections, doctors finally diagnosed him with Wiskott Aldrich syndrome, a form of profound immune deficiency. This is an inherited disease, which, in Baden's case, was passed down from his mother through a defective gene. Because of his susceptibility to infection, the Kleins were unable to visit and touch Baden for almost six months unless they were fully gowned and masked.

Doctors told Joanne and her husband Fred that Baden had profound cellular immune deficiency. With this degree of a deficiency, a bone marrow transplant allows the patient's immune system to rebuild and in turn, resist infection. This is what Baden needed to survive. He was admitted to the Bone Marrow Transplant unit under the care of the combined transplant service of Haematology and Immunology.

Just before the transplant, Baden suffered a seizure and his heart stopped. Thankfully, his doctors were able to resuscitate him. He now required an urgent surgery that was dangerous but without it, Baden's chances for survival were extremely low. The surgery went well and Baden was able to continue with the transplant.

The immunodeficiency program, under the direction of Chief Immunologist, Dr. Chaim Roifman, has an international reputation for its multiple academic contributions and a very high success rate of bone marrow transplants. Baden was lucky, as his cousin Lucy, then three, was a perfect match. "As soon as they did the transplant, I noticed a difference. Ever since Baden was born, I looked into his eyes and all I saw was pain. After the transplant, I looked at him and the look of pain in his eyes was gone," described Joanne.

Because of the complexity of his condition, Baden has had and will continue to need follow-ups with virtually every department within the hospital. He regularly visits immunology, but has also been treated by nephrology, cardiology, haematology, nutritional and neurology specialists. Baden had chemotherapy following his transplant, so he will need vision and dental monitoring as well.

Though most of Baden's suffering has passed, his family still needs to be vigilant in ensuring that he avoids any potential infectious situations. For now, they are just grateful to have him home to spend the holidays with all of his cousins - something that has never been possible because he was either in hospital or in isolation. There is no doubt in Joanne's mind that Baden will make up for lost hugs during the next few months.

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