brayton

Anyone remember this little guy? His name is Brayton and he was a part of my Senior Thesis project at Grand Valley. I met with his family to document the struggles of having a child that needed treatment at a specific hospital, and having to uproot their whole life to be near him in whatever town that might be far from home. He was battling Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis or HLH, which is a life threatening immunodeficiency. 

Brayton was taken to the hospital at seven weeks, and had to remain there until a Bone Marrow donor match was located. The only person in the world registered to be a perfect match to save Brayton's life flew all the way from Germany to do so. Brayton continued to improve after the Bone Marrow Transplant, but still had complications and delays in his growth. 

Here he is, five years later...a true miracle. Please please, if you have not done so already, register to become a bone marrow donor! YOU can be the one to be a perfect match for someone in need. Click here to register to become a bone marrow donor, or here to donate the the Matthew and Andrew Akin Foundation to help children like Brayton. 

Be the change. Make the difference.