It’s not unusual for a 10-year-old boy to run and be active. But it’s another story if he has just received a double lung transplant and is running around a physiotherapy room – without an oxygen tank. The transplant team at Stollery Children’s Hospital was amazed to see Drew Husch do just that.
Drew was born with cystic fibrosis, an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Bacteria in his lungs led to cycles of infection and inflammation that damaged the delicate lung tissue. After nine long months on an oxygen tank, his family got the news they had been waiting for and Drew received a new set of lungs.
Today, Drew’s lungs are disease-free, but his other organs contain cystic fibrosis. He’s hopeful that a cure will be found soon, but in the meantime, he refuses to let it get the best of him. A fan of skiing, baseball, hockey and dirt bikes, Drew insists on staying active and positive despite the pain. He also loves to build and construct things and to help his dad with odd jobs around the house. Drew dreams of becoming a mechanic, owning a body shop and living on a farm someday.
Drew is always focused on what he wants to do and forgets everything else that is going on. When he was sick, he would go to the hospital on oxygen and carry his hockey stick as he walked around. Even though he was in isolation, nurses gave him a ball to play with in his room.
Stollery officially welcomed Drew Husch as our champion child for 2011/2012 at a launch event at Rexall Place on Monday, September 19.
Drew, along with his family and his classmates, watched a practice, had a pizza lunch and celebrated.
We were also able to say thanks a bunch to Jed Calhoun Rutter and his family for their support last year.
Here are some photos from this event: