We’re Not Famous

I’m not famous. My children aren’t famous. Neither is my husband. In fact, there isn’t a single famous person in my family or circle of friends. But I still see all of my family members and friends as super stars. Especially my almost 13-year-old son Joey, AKA Super Joey. Joey is known for his strength and knocking Langerhans out.

Super Joey

Super Joey

Joey isn’t muscular or a big guy. In fact, he’s only 5’1 and under 75 pounds. Yet he still knocked out Langerhans, which was pretty amazing since Langerhans is vicious. I’ve gotten to know him over the last few years and he devours people, mostly kids. Nothing is off limits – he’ll go for the bones, organs and even skin, whatever he can do to take to out his victim. Sometimes even death. It takes a lot to be able to stand up to Langerhans and fight back and even more to beat him down. No, Langerhans isn’t some new trendy boys name or a nickname for a terrible bully.

Langerhans – Langerhans Cell Histiocytois – is a horrible rare cancer that my son beat. This disease, often argued by doctors is to whether it is cancer or an autoimmune disease, is ferocious. It ate Joey’s hip bone causing him to need a bone graft, spend months in a wheelchair, go through lots of physical therapy and much more. Two years later, he still deals with chronic bone pain that puts him on crutches or in a wheelchair for weeks at a time. But the good news is, the LCH is gone. The doctors told him he’s whooped it’s butt and they can’t imagine it will ever attack again. Woohoo!

Super Joey

Super Joey

You’d think we’d be celebrating everyday! And we have celebrated. We are truly ecstatic for Joey but not all of our friends have been so lucky. Our 19-year-old friend Ian Anderson, who also isn’t famous, has LCH in his pituitary gland. He’s been through chemo, surgeries and so much more. He’s probably looking at some sort of life-long treatment and/or follow up.

Princess Sophia

Princess Sophia

Our sweet 5-year-old friend Sophia Lopez, who is not famous either, has another form of Histio – Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. This beautiful 5-year-old has spent most of her life in hospitals. She and her mom have traveled to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital from New York City to get the best care possible. They have been living at the Ronald McDonald House for a year while Sophia’s dad and brothers are back in New York. The men her life travel to Cincinnati as often as they can to see their Princess Warrior who has been through chemo, a bone marrow transplant, multiple surgeries and much much more. But that gets expensive and vacation time runs out.

We also think of our friends the Culley/Marshall family. They aren’t famous either. But their daughter Ellisyn is a hero in my eyes. Langerhans didn’t hold back at all when it attacked Ellisyn. By the time she was diagnosed with LCH, it was too late. Ellisyn lost her battle at 15 months old.

So although we are thrilled for Joey, there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t think about this horrible disease – Histio, Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis – that has attacked Super Joey as well as some of our friends (we all met as a result of diagnosis – Histio attacks five in a million).

Most people have never heard of Histio. It doesn’t receive government funding for research, there is no sure cure and there is no known cause. We just know it sucks and can kill. I know some people might think I’m horrible for what I’m about to say but… there are MANY days I wish that a famous person or a famous person’s child would get Histio. Yes, I feel horrible for even saying it but hear me out.

Bengal Player Devon Still’s beautiful daughter Leah was diagnosed with Nueroblastoma and over $1 million was raised in an extremely short period of time. This is awesome! The money went to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital cancer research, which is fantastic. I hate that Leah has this horrible disease but it has brought tons of awareness to Nueroblastoma and childhood cancer.

Lauren Hill, the Mount Saint Joseph Basketball player with an inoperable brain turmor, became famous with the help of the media and has now raised more than $324,000 for the Cure Starts Now. It is horrible that Lauren has been stricken with this disease and she has deserved every bit of media attention she has gotten. She is truly an inspiration to all and I believe her strength and courage will help find a cure for this some day. I have followed her story from day one, cried through the ENTIRE basketball game and will be devastated when she passes. I will always remember that brave angel.

joey rareBut again, I often find myself wishing someone famous or their child would get Histio. I don’t want them to go through all the pain and anguish my friends and family have gone through. I just want that famous person to have a voice for all of us. Believe me, the Anderson, Lopez, Culley/Marshall and Holt/Stegner families have a loud voice. We have been on local media, held fundraisers and educated people but none of us our famous. We don’t have the outlet or the reach that someone famous has. We need a famous person to raise awareness for Histio, to raise funds for research, to help the families fighting this horrible disease and to encourage others to remember the angels we have lost.

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Note: Please contact me at gina5620@gmail.com to learn more about Histio or find out how you can help… You don’t have to be famous. 🙂

Team Super Joey Gears Up for Histio Hike Ohio 2014

This post is written by Joey Holt.

My mom tells me that I am five in a million. That’s because I have a rare, cancer-like disease called Langerhans Cell

2012 - spent months in a wheelchair

2012 – spent months in a wheelchair

Histiocytosis (www.histio.org) that impacts five in one million. I’m 12-1/2 now but was diagnosed with LCH at age 10 after my white blood cells attacked my hip bone eating it away. I had to get a bone graft, steroid treatment, spend months in a wheelchair, use a walker and crutches and endure 2-1/2 years of physical therapy.

Due to debilitating pain, I have been in and out of the hospital over the last 2-1/2 years and missed a lot of school. Luckily I have awesome teachers and am determined to not fall too far behind. I am in the 7th grade this year.

There is no known cause or cure for Histio. Just like cancer, it can attack the bones, organs or skin again at any time. Many children need transplants or chemotherapy to treat. If it attacks me again, I will undergo chemotherapy. Since it is a rare disease, it does not receive state or federal funding for research. The majority of the money for research comes from the families of Histio patients, the same people who are usually dealing with excessive medical bills.

In spite of everything I have dealt with, I am determined to participate in the Histio Hike Ohio this September in honor of Histio Awareness Month but I need to raise funds and awareness.

Histio Hike Ohio 2013 - Histio Warriors and their siblings

Histio Hike Ohio 2013 – Histio Warriors and their siblings

I am asking you to help one of two ways.

TeamSuperJoey_Mockup_Final (3)

  1. Buy a 2014 #TeamSuperJoey T-shirt (pictured below) for $15. You can pay via paypal (gina5620@gmail.com) or by
    cash or check. Payment not due until shirt arrives. Be sure to sport your shirt around to raise awareness.
  1. Sponsor me in the Histio Hike Ohio, which takes place September 26-28. Visit http://ohio.histiohike.org/teamsuperjoey. Whether it’s a $5 donation or a $500 donation, it will help.

Please email questions to my mom Gina (Holt) Stegner at gina5620@gmail.com. Money raised will be donated to Histio research in hopes to find a cure for me and others who have Histio.

Princess Sophia - 4-1/2-years-old, has HLH and lives at the Ronald McDonald House, thousands of miles from home for treatment.

Princess Sophia – 4-1/2-years-old, has HLH and lives at the Ronald McDonald House, thousands of miles from home for treatment.

Super Joey

Super Joey

Sincerely,

Joey Holt    🙂

Please help us find a cure.