Archer
Archer and his mum, Katie have something incredibly unique and heartbreaking in common. They were both diagnosed with Osteopetrosis.
"When Archer was diagnosed, our world was shattered. Brad and I were scared thinking of all the things that I have been through… Is that what is in store for Archer?”
With Osteopetrosis, it is a waiting game. Unless both parents have the condition, children do not suffer from it at birth. The hardest part for Katie and Brad is not knowing if today will be the day that Archer starts to show symptoms. Usually, children will start to show signs at about 5-6 years old.
This condition could cause blindness, deafness, nerve compression in the body, cause face paralysis, jaw infections, anaemia, and broken bones. Because of all this, Archer is now closely monitored for all these symptoms and more.
Archer had a very difficult start to life. Due to her condition, Katie broke her ribs when she was pregnant. This caused a lot of stress on her body and she went into early labour.
Archer was born at 34 weeks and stayed in the hospital for the first 5 weeks of his life. When he was finally allowed to leave, he was only home for about a month before he contracted a urine infection which causes a blood infection and the start of meningitis.
Due to his weak immune system, Archer was in and out of the hospital during the first year of his life. He still catches illnesses quite easily now.
Archer is so full of life and is the cheekiest little boy you will ever meet. He loves to be social and makes friends with everyone he meets.
He is so full of energy that Katie and Brad can’t help but worry. It’s when he is super active that accidents happen, and he starts to break bones. He is a little daredevil and loves to make people laugh.
“Archer has had to watch me go through pain from day one. He’s seen me through major surgeries and many broken bones. This has made him grow to be the most loving little boy showing empathy and caring towards others.”