2024 Radiothon - The Watson Family

We highlight the Watson Family as one of our 2024 Radiothon Miracle Families. Elsie Hughes, Nylaina Watson's mom, found out that Nylaina was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease.

The family says that "Whenever she's sick, I drive to Grand Rapids. I go straight to her hospital because I know she'sgoing to be well taken care of. They always bring coloring books. They have a tablet to, youknow, distract her when they have to get IV in, or do shots or something. They bring toys allthe time for her, but she always wants to take them home, and I'm like, no, they have to stay here for the other kids, too. Donations are very helpful for that process of making breakthroughs for sickle cell to make it easier for sickle cell patients to live day-to-day."

Would you consider donating? Visit https://corewellhealth.org/foundation/west/helen-devos-childrens-hospital/radiothon

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
My name is ELC. My prisency went pretty smooth. I
knew I had the sickle cell trait. That did not know,
so once we found out, I just kind of knew
that she was gonna have sickle cell, even though it's
just a twenty five percent chance. I just knew. Sickle
cell disease is an abnormality of the red blood cells.

(00:25):
Instead of being like a full circle cell, they are
sickled like a crescent mood. They could block blood vessels
and block the blood flow to her limbs and cause
pain crises. So many things can trigger a pain crysis,
getting too hot, getting too cold. She is, you know, compromised,

(00:47):
so she gets sick way easier for friends I did
to us when we first found out, I probably cried
for like a week. But she's been fine. It's all
about how you take care of the child. We've been
pretty good. We go to the VOS every two months

(01:09):
for a single cell checkup. I love the team, they
love her. It's always like home away from home, Like
it's never a worry going to the doctors or anything.
And whenever she's sick, I drive to the Grand Rapids.
I go straight to her hospital because I know she's
gonna be well taken care of. They always bring coloring books.

(01:32):
They have a tablet to you know, distract her when
you know they have to get ivy in or do
shots or something. They bring toys all the time for her,
but she always wants to take them home and I'm like, no,
they have to stay here for the other kids too.
So have you so talk. Donations are very helpful for

(01:59):
that price sense of making breakthroughs for sickle cell to
make it easier for sickle cell patients to live day
to day