From The Beginning

Hello All!

My name is Vikki Pier and I am Luke’s mother. I have decided to try my hand at blogging in order to keep you updated with Luke’s progress, needs, and who knows - this may be therapeutic!

Luke is the 7th of my 10 children. He has always been tall, thin, energetic, tender hearted, mechanically minded and extremely flexible. An orthopedic doctor Luke was once seeing, because of pain in his joints and dislocations, called him “rubber band man”.

In February 2007 I took Luke to a cardiologist because he was complaining of heart pain. The pain was so great at times it would stop him in his tracks. Even with this pain I never dreamed Luke had any problem with his heart. Instead I believed the cardiologist would refer us to a doctor that would correct his sunken chest. During this visit we learned Luke had an enlarged aortic root and a possible connective tissue disorder.

After my initial shock and fear I began researching in order to make sure Luke received the best care possible. I discovered that one of the best alternatives for Luke to have, when surgery was needed, was the valve sparing procedure. This operation is not done at very many hospitals and the few I found would not accept us because of insurance reasons. Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD did welcome us into their genetic clinic and Luke has been seen there since 2007.

Luke’s aneurysm, at this time, is “slow growing”. As of his last visit in June 2009 he has been referred to an orthopedic doctor at Johns Hopkins in order to have surgery on his chest. The doctor said Luke needs this surgery because the progression of his chest deformity has been great and it is now interfering with his breathing. The doctor said it would be best to perform it now because of his age. He would perform the Nuss Procedure costing approximately $70,000. This figure includes the doctor and hospital fee.

Here I go again – I am not in shock and I am not fearful – overwhelmed and desperate is a better description. I am overwhelmed at the prospect of raising $70,000.00 and desperate to do just that. We (The Luke Pier Foundation) must raise this money! Luke does not have a choice; this procedure is not for cosmetic purposes. I contacted the Shriners Hospitals for Children and they have denied Luke because of his aneurysm and there is no insurance to pay for this.

The doctor and hospital at Johns Hopkins will work with us but we must raise the money for Luke’s surgery. Please pray for The Luke Pier Foundation as we brain storm our next fundraiser. Yes, I am overwhelmed, but I will not continue in that state because Luke needs my help. I have chosen to believe that the funds will be raised and Luke will receive this needed surgery.

• Proverbs 3:5 & 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
• Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

That should get you caught up on where we are today. I will continue blogging as we navigate through this journey. Feel free to post your questions and I will try to answer them in future posts.

Vikki

A New Approach

We at The Luke Pier Foundation have decided to take a new approach with our blog. Our first "new" post will be later this week, so check back soon! You will hear from us much more often. The focus of the blog will be less about the fundraisers (We'll still talk about those, though! It's why we're here!) and more about the journey.

We'll ask for your feedback along the way, so be ready to ask questions and participate in the conversation.

Thank you, as always, for your support these last three years (can you believe it's been three years already?). And we look forward to sharing the journey with you even more in 2010.