Today was one of those days with incredible highs and subsequent crashing down.
Our family was given an amazing, incredible gift today. A local biopharmaceutical company had offered to create a “Hannah Mouse” for us, a genetically modified research mouse with Hannah’s unique DNA mutation. This was HUGE! The generosity of this company was so enormous, as creating a mouse like this is an expensive, complex, and time-consuming process (about a year or so).
The VP that I had been working with was such a sweet man, and he contacted me multiple times to share different things he had be learning. You could tell that he was really researching deep into this project.
However, after hearing back from Dr. Weinreb (Hannah’s guardian angel) and talking to Dr. Sidransky at the NIH, this had been tried before by Dr. Grabowski (another leading GD23 expert) with not the results they were hoping for. I have an email into Dr. Grabowski to have this explained in more detail in “mom terms”, but as Dr. Weinreb explained, creating the mouse model may not be easy or even possible. Even some so called mild human mutations are lethal in mouse models and that may be even more likely with a severe mutation like Hannah has. Apparently, a “Hannah mouse” just is not possible.
Crash…
This would have been a huge boost in our fight for Hannah’s life, as it would give researchers a mouse model to test possible treatments against. Now, we are back to square one — with this very accessible and forwarding pushing research tool in fighting disease closed to us…
Friggin’ sucks…
***HUG***
You’ll find another way. I know you won’t give up until you do. 🙂
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Awwww, man, Carrie. That sucks.
I’m crying again. Words can’t even describe how I feel, so I can only imagine how you are doing. I am SO sorry. I am here. I know that is very little help right now, but PLEASE, if you want to vent I am here. We will find something. You will do it. We all will fight until we find something. I love you so much. I wish I was there to hug you. We love you guys.
She doesn’t need a mouse anyways. She has a bear 😉
Obviously the mouse wasn’t the way to go. You’ll find the way Carrie. You’re the most dedicated Mom I know.
I am hoping it is the same company and VP we have discussed. That company is renowned for being able to create mice when no one else could. If they are willing to try, then they have a good idea of the success or failure they are facing. They already have complete KO’s of the gene, and the cells survive in culture. it may not be a lethal mutation. Plus, if the mice can live with one mutant copy and one normal copy it will still lead to a model to use in experiments. Please believe this, that it is possible. It really is!
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