Interview with Genzyme Horizon’s Reporter

Genzymes Horizon Newsletter

Genzyme's Horizon Newsletter

I had my first official interview regarding Hannah and Gaucher’s 2/3 Friday afternoon.

A reporter from Genzyme’s (the people who make Cerezyme, Hannah’s enzyme replacement therapy) called to get “Hannah’s story” for their upcoming newsletter, Horizons.   This newsletter will go out to the entire Gaucher community (types 1, 2, and 3), clinicians, etc. 

It was a very easy process, as the reporter was very genuinely interested and easy to talk to.  He explained the first part of the article will be an explanation of GD23, and the second part would be about Hannah and our fight for her.

What was most interesting (but not surprising to say the least), the reporter admitted that this is the first GD23 story that he has done.  I have a feeling that it is possibly the first GD23 story to be in one of their newsletters! 

I don’t think Genzyme was trying to shy away from GD23, but GD1 is really all that has been touched on in their previous newsletters.  Like with so many other Gaucher type 1 families (95% are type 1), our form of the disease is kind of like the “forgotten” type of Gaucher’s since there are so few of us.  But Genzyme has really been awesome in trying to help me connect with other families and in trying to get our story out there.

The reporter is going to send me a copy of it before it goes to print.  I really hope it gets people’s attention to realize that our children (Hannah and the other GD23 kids) are fighting a losing battle right now, and that we really need their help to save our children’s lives!

Platelets on the rise…

In the midst of all the chaos with the Hannah mouse that couldn’t be, we did receive some good news.

We received Hannah’s platelet count.  149,000!  This is the highest it has ever been, as she had been hovering between 93,000 and 106,000 during the four months before her Cerezyme treatment started.  I just have to believe that the Cerezyme is having some affect because of this!

Anyway, we are off to her PT (physical therapy) evaluation at TCH to see if we need to add additional therapy to what ECI provides.  I’m curious to see what they recommend.  We don’t have the OT (occupational therapy) or ST (speech therapy) evaluations until June.  Which stinks, because we really need to get working on her solid food issues, as we have made no progress in that.

Three months down… (Cerezyme treatments)

Hannah's CerezymeCan you believe it has been three months since Hannah’s first Cerezyme treatment?!  

Hannah had her seventh IV infusion today, and she really handles it like a champ.  The only issue today was that we had to wait over TWO HOURS for the pharmacy to deliver the Cerezyme to the Infusion Center.  What a pain in the butt!

She also had very important bloodwork taken before her infusion after her IV was set.  These would test her Gaucher markers and CBC (platelet count!) to see if her enzyme replacement therapy has been helpful in her body (we already know it doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier).  We should get the results of the platelets in a day or two, but we won’t see the results from the Gaucher markers for about a month.

I really, really, really, really hope we see some improvement in her markers.  This would mean there is purpose for the Cerezyme.  We honestly already feel that her spleen and liver have started to go down, but that is totally subjective, and I admit, a bit of wishful thinking.  But you know me, I’m a realist, and I really think it has helped some.