When Jordan Berkhoudkt was in middle school, he began to have pain that they couldn’t find a way to relieve. He couldn’t get an accurate diagnosis from the doctors in the area, and he began to miss school. He was forced to move around in a wheelchair at age 14.
Finally, the more advanced tests came back and they found a host of diseases together: Lyme disease paired with a co-infection of Bartonella bacterium, and most notably, the rare neurological disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). CIDP causes nerve signal damage due to inflammation and slows the speed at which they’re transmitted. This causes weakness and numbness as well as difficulty walking or using parts of the body.
However, the family didn’t get the treatments covered by their insurance. His father quit his job to look after his son’s medical needs. He needed specialized treatment for which the family took trips to New York City. There he received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions a few days a month that helped treat the disease. The family was glad to have this treatment that might help their son recover, but they were burdened by the high financial cost of not only the medication and medical treatment, but the family’s transportation and housing.
To cover some costs, Franklin Elementary School, where Jordan’s mother works as a teacher, is holding a fundraiser to help pay the extensive medical expenses not covered by insurance. They will sell tickets to the event, host raffles, music, food, and drinks.
Read more about this story here.
