B101.5’s Care-A-Thon: Your Support Helps Children Grow Up Stronger
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B101.5’s Care-A-Thon: Your Support Helps Children Grow Up Stronger
Jehoram is a curious kid who loves the outdoors. But growing up with sickle cell disease often kept him inside. When he was young, his family hardly left home, except for the two-hour round trip to Children’s National Hospital for care. His genetic disorder caused a constant shortage of red blood cells, leaving him anemic, pale and weak. It took a toll on his whole family.
At age 6, Jehoram started seeing the hospital’s bone marrow transplant team. “During those appointments I would cry so hard,” recalls his mother, Helena, “but I felt stronger each time we left.”
Jehoram missed a lot of kindergarten because of the travel to the hospital and his medical needs. His twin sister, Jecholiah, was the only bone marrow donor match in his family. “I was happy for it,” Helena says, “but then I cried double. She understood that her brother needed her help to survive. The bone marrow transplant process took many months of intense treatment.”
After the transplant, Jehoram grew and gained weight. “Follow-up care at Children’s National’s location in Fredericksburg made a world of difference,” Helena says. Now Jehoram doesn’t miss much school and spends far less time in the car. “Children’s National lifted a burden for our family in so many ways. Jehoram is now a super happy, healthy kid.”
Building Impact for Families in Our Community
Every year during the B101.5 Care-A-Thon, generous radio listeners help bring Children’s National care closer to home for families in the Fredericksburg area. This location now includes pediatric specialists in various fields:
- Allergy, in office, once a month
- Cardiology, in office
- Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program, in office
- Endocrinology, in office and via telehealth
- Gastroenterology, in office and via telehealth
- General Surgery, in office twice a month
- Hematology/Oncology, in office and via telehealth
- Neurology, in office
Kristin Nash is B101.5’s senior marketing consultant and midday host. She knows how care at Children’s National can help a family. For a long time, Kristin struggled to understand why her teenage daughter, Kaden, was always sick. “Nausea was the norm for my sweet daughter,” Kristin says. The family visited many doctors without finding answers. After contacting Children’s National, they soon had an appointment in our Celiac Disease Program.
This led to a diagnosis of celiac disease — a chronic condition in which the immune system reacts to gluten. Kaden had follow-up care at our Fredericksburg location, including education about how to manage her diet. “As a result, Kaden is no longer nauseous all the time,” Kristin says. “Instead, she’s living her life to the fullest. Thanks to Children’s National, my daughter is thriving. And I’m thriving too, knowing my daughter now has the answers she needs and the best possible care team. This is why the B101.5 Care-A-Thon raises money for Children’s National — to ensure kids everywhere receive this kind of personalized care.”
Children’s National Hospital and the Fredericksburg Clinic.
