LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Katelyn Julana Policastro was born April 27th, 2011 at St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard, California. The first day of her life was filled with joy and she seemed like a healthy little baby girl. 28 hours later, she was admitted into the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) due to low levels of oxygen in her blood. After nine days at St. John’s in the NICU, Katelyn’s condition began to worsen and she was airlifted to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Since then, Katelyn has been diagnosed with a rare lung disease called ACD (Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia), which is untreatable and has no cure other than a lung transplant. According to the ACD Association, www.acd-association.com, Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia is a pulmonary disease that presents in early infancy. Infants generally become critically ill early in life with severe hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension. Babies with ACD do not improve despite maximum support in the NICU, which includes mechanical ventilation, nitric oxide, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Unfortunately, ACD cannot be detected during pregnancy. Sonograms can detect anomalies associated with ACD, such as gastrointestinal issues, but do not confirm the existence of ACD in infants, according to the ACD Association.
Katelyn needs an infant lung transplant for a chance to survive. Her parents and family plead that if anyone knows of a lung available or to become available to please contact the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles at 323-361-4148.
Both parents, Marc and Leslie, are available to media to discuss their daughter, ACD, and dealing with such a rare disorder with an infant.
According to a recent story on KABC TV, 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. In the future, organ donation may be a thing of the past, but Katelyn does not have the time to wait. For more information on the potential future of organ donation click here.
For More Information on ACD (Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia), please see these sites:
http://www.acd-association.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_capillary_dysplasia
http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/1131/viewAbstract
CONTACT:
Matthew Policastro
805-320-8515
or
Marc Policastro
805-236-2004
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Stem Cells Women Surgery Health Cardiology Genetics Hospitals Baby/Maternity Children Parenting Research Consumer Family Science
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