Atlas Twp.- As a newborn, Brantlee Sanford’s days should be filled with cuddles, warm milk, regular diaper changes and plenty of sleep at home.
However, since his birth on Sept. 13 at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Brantlee has not spent even one day at home. And while his parents, 2004 Goodrich High School graduate Jake Sanford and Tella Campbell, are at his side, they are unable to feed and snuggle their son as they wish. Instead, they watch as he receives nutrition through a stomach tube and breathes with the help of a ventilator.
‘It’s so tough watching this? I get to see pictures and video, but I’ve never held him,? said his aunt, Katie Hamilton. ‘It’s crazy.?
Hamilton is getting an education in congenital hyperinsulinism, which Brantlee was diagnosed with shortly after he was born six weeks premature, weighing more than 8 pounds.
‘His insulin levels were off the charts with zero idea why,? said his aunt.
After five days at Hurley, Brantlee was sent by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Detroit and a week later, was flown to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas to see a specialist.
According to congenitalhi.org, congenital hyperinsulism is the most frequent cause of severe, persistent hypoglycemia in newborn babies and children. In most countries it occurs in approximately 1/25,000 to 1/50,000 births.
‘Insulin is the most important hormone for controlling the concentration of glucose in the blood. As food is eaten, blood glucose rises and the pancreas secretes insulin to keep the blood glucose in the normal range. Insulin acts by driving glucose into the cells of the body…With hyperinsulinism, however, the close regulation of blood glucose and insulin secretion is lost. The pancreas, which is responsible for insulin secretion, is blind to the blood glucose level and makes insulin regardless of the blood glucose concentration. As a result, the baby or child with HI can develop hypoglycemia at any time but particularly when fasting. In the most severe form of HI this glucose blindness causes frequent, random episodes of hypoglycemia.
HI causes a particularly damaging form of hypoglycemia because it denies the brain of all the fuels on which it is critically dependent… The lack of appropriate fuel to the brain may result in seizures and coma and if prolonged may result in death of the cells. It is this cell damage which can manifest as a permanent seizure disorder, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness or even death.?
On Oct. 6, surgeons at Cook Children’s Hospital removed 85 percent of Brantlee’s pancreas in an attempt to resolve the worst case of focal congenital hyperinsulinism they had ever seen. Three days later, they removed an additional 13 percent of the pancreas, leaving Brantlee with just 2 percent of the organ that produces insulin.
‘He’s going to be a diabetic now and they have him on an insulin pump, sugar drip and feeding tube,? said Hamilton. ‘Down the road, his mom and dad will have to check his blood sugar multiple times a day and he’ll have three insulin shots a day until he’s 5.?
Jake Sanford and Tella Campbell, who are engaged to be married, are facing financial hardships as they watch their child struggle for his life. Jake, who served in the Marines from 2004-2008, is currently on family medical leave from his job with Coca-Cola in Flint to be with his son. Tella is a stay-at-home mom. Hamilton is hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser tonight, Oct. 17, to assist with living expenses for the family. The event begins at 4 p.m., at the River Church, 9430 Perry Road, Goodrich. Donations can also be made at https://www.gofundme.com/brantleesjourney and Brantlee’s progress in overcoming his medical challenges can be followed at www.facebook.com/brantleesjourney.
‘Everyone is doing pretty good, pretty high spirits and optimistic,? said Hamilton. ‘It’s tough watching your baby on a ventilator and morphine drip. You want to play with and hold them and see their milestones and he hasn’t had any. He’s heavily medicated to keep him calm, he has lots of tubes. They got good news today, they are putting him on medication to combat the insulin, and then fixed feedings through his stomach. It’s very good news because that means he doesn’t need another surgery on his intestines. They are looking at three weeks til he is home… He is making strides. He’s trucking.?