Littrells on Larry King Live - Transcript
KING: The tragedy of the death of John Travolta's son.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta remains with us in Atlanta.
Also, in Atlanta now is Brian and Leighanne Littrell, along with their son, Baylee. Brian is one of the Backstreet Boys. And they recently found out that 6-year-old Baylee has Kawasaki disease.
How did you find it out, Brian?
BRIAN LITTRELL, MEMBER BACKSTREET BOYS, SON HAS KAWASAKI SYNDROME: Well, we — we started with swollen lymph nodes. We went to the doctor. It was strep throat. And then we started some antibiotics. And as the doctor was referring to earlier, everything escalated. And we found out a week before Christmas that he was diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki's disease.
So they were about to let us go. The scary thing, they were about to let us go from the hospital. And the infectious disease doctor came in and said everything looks great. They thought it was a disease called Erythema multiformae, which is a Herpes virus. They were about to let us go from the hospital.
And we asked for an echocardiogram. And they found his coronary artery was a 3.3 on the scale for his size. And that's extremely large.
KING: Yes…
B. LITTRELL: At a one, it's the biggest so.
KING: So, what, Leighanne, is the treatment?
LEIGHANNE LITTRELL, SON HAS KAWASAKI SYNDROME: They do an IVIG through the I.V. And it takes 12 hours. So you can have a reaction to it during (INAUDIBLE). You can have a reaction to it during, but Baylee, again, didn't have a reaction during. He had it after.
So everything he did was atypical.
And what — I want to just stress to every mom and every parent and to everybody, that trust your instincts because, like Brian said, they were going to send us home twice. And our symptoms didn't follow any of the symptoms that you read anywhere.
KING: Does this tragedy today, Brian, give you some pause?
B. LITTRELL: It does. I mean our thoughts and our prayers go out to the Travolta family. It's a tragedy. I mean any parent all over the world that watches, you know, the entertainment shows and finds out the news that's happening, it is tragic. And our thoughts and prayers go out to them.
But we're also, you know, a miracle in the making right here, with being able to find what it was and to be able to address the situation. We went to the cardiologist the day after Christmas and his coronary artery is starting to shrink down back to size. And we're very fortunate. And thanks for all the prayers and all the fans out there that support us.
KING: Dr. Sanjay, he doesn't appear any the worse for it, young Baylee.
GUPTA: Yes. He looks pretty good. He's making a lot of cute faces at the camera there, I see, as well.
You know, that's pretty typical. Once you — once you sort of suppress the immune system — the immune system's sort of in overdrive, Larry. And that's what's causing all the problems. It's causing the inflammation in the blood vessels. Brian was describing that coronary artery, which is the artery on top of the heart that supplies the heart.
That starts to get big. And it's just the inflammation. You the medication to suppress the inflammation and the artery starts to come back down to size.
He's going to need to be monitored to make sure this doesn't come back again. But as you point out, he looks pretty good right now.
B. LITTRELL: He does.
KING: Would it be doubtful, Sanjay, if Jett — if John Travolta's son died of this disease at age 16?
GUPTA: I think so, Larry. It's one of those things where, you know, you can only go by the data. And I certainly have never met Jett and never examined him.
But it's very unusual for someone to have these symptoms after the age of eight or so. And also, the — you know, the heart problems. If there's a problem that causes death, there's a lethal issue, it's usually related to the heart, not so much to the brain, as we're hearing from John Travolta's lawyers and some of the other reporters down there.
So it doesn't all seem to fit together as being related to Kawasaki disease.
KING: Leighanne, is Baylee always this up?
L. LITTRELL: Always. Always. Even more so. You hit him at a calm moment.
KING: Baylee, how are you feeling?
BAYLEE LITTRELL: Good.
KING: Good?
How old are you Baylee?
B. LITTRELL: Six.
KING: So you're in first grade?
Are you in first grade?
L. LITTRELL: Not yet. Say I'm pre — I'm still preschool.
B. LITTRELL: I'm still…
L. LITTRELL: He had a late birthday.
B. LITTRELL: Kindergarten.
B. LITTRELL: Yes, kindergarten.
L. LITTRELL: I'm sorry. Kindergarten.
KING: Yes, kindergarten.
He shows no ill effects, Brian.
B. LITTRELL: No, he doesn't. He doesn't. He's been a little tired. But again, we're — we're dealing with this about 10 days to two weeks later. We got a great report from the cardiologist. But if you saw him two weeks ago, you would not recognize him. I have pictures on my cell phone that I've showed the family and — and it's pretty scary. It's pretty scary.
KING: Oh, really?
L. LITTRELL: It was six days in the hospital.
KING: Well, I know all of our wishes go out to the Travoltas. And thank you for joining us. Brian and Leighanne Littrell and young Baylee.
L. LITTRELL: Thanks.
B. LITTRELL: Thank you.
KING: And thank you, Dr. Gupta, as always.
GUPTA: Thanks, Larry.
KING: I don't think anybody does it better.
GUPTA: Thank you.
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Brian Littrell & Wife “Deeply Touched for the Travoltas”
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and his wife Leighanne are reaching out to extend their condolences to John Travolta and Kelly Preston following the recent death of their 16-year-old son, Jett.
The Littrells, whose 6-year-old son Baylee was just diagnosed with Atypical Kawasaki Disease (Jett was also reported to have had Kawasaki Disease), tell OK! their hearts are with the grieving family.
"We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas," the Littrell family told OK! in a statement. "We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through. We want to pass on our condolences, our love and prayers."
--------------------
Backstreet Boy Brian Shares Sympathy for Travoltas
Brian Littrell, Baylee Littrell Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys is one celeb who has been personally affected by the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son, Jett...and understandably so.
Just before Christmas, Littrell's son, Baylee, 6, was diagnosed with the rare atypical Kawasaki disease, the same heart affliction Jett had as a child. It can be treated, but Kawasaki can have complications, including irreparable heart damage.
"We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas," the boy bander and his wife, Leighanne, said in a statement to OK!. "We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through."
Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/print/inde...contentId=77600
--------------------
Littrell’s Prayers For Travolta Family
Backstreet Boys star BRIAN LITTRELL has sent his condolences to JOHN TRAVOLTA and KELLY PRESTON following the death of their son JETT.
The 16-year-old died following a seizure at the family's Bahamas holiday retreat on Friday (02Jan09).
The teenager reportedly suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome - a disease which inflames organs mainly in children.
Littrell's six-year-old son Baylee was diagnosed with the disease last month (Dec08), and the link hasn't been lost on the singer, who has sent his "love and prayers" to the actor.
In a statement, Littrell and his wife Leighanne say, "We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas. We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through. We want to pass on our condolences, our love and prayers." Neither Travolta nor his wife Kelly Preston have ever confirmed their son was a Kawasaki sufferer.
--------------------
Kawasaki Disease Treated With Plasma-Derived Therapy
Kawasaki disease is an uncommon illness that typically affects children between the ages of two and five and is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Kawasaki disease is treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG), a plasma-derived therapy that replaces vital missing antibodies in a person's plasma and that is manufactured by member companies of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA).
As reported recently in the news, Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell's six-year-old son Baylee has been diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki disease. According to Littrell's website posting, "He received IVIG, which is a treatment to bring down the inflammation in his coronary arteries. Baylee will be closely monitored for the next 6-8 weeks by a Pediatric Cardiologist to see if the treatment was effective." Kawasaki disease can inflame and weaken coronary arteries, creating the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attacks.
"IVIG is produced from plasma donated by healthy, committed donors across the country," said Julie Birkofer, PPTA Vice President, North America. Plasma is the straw-colored, liquid portion of whole blood that remains when red blood cells, platelets and other cellular components are removed. It is rich in proteins needed to fight infection, clot blood, and ensure proper lung function.
Source plasma used to produce life-saving therapies like IVIG is donated by healthy, committed individuals at 363 government licensed and International Quality Plasma Program-certified plasma collections centers in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
"Nationwide, tens of thousands of individuals rely on plasma protein therapies to treat rare, chronic diseases and disorders, which include hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, primary immunodeficiency diseases, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Kawasaki disease, and certain autoimmune and neurological disorders," said Birkofer. "These protein replacement therapies are life-saving."
--------------------
Access Exclusive: Brian Littrell On Son’s Kawasaki Disease
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
The Travolta family said their son, Jett, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a syndrome associated with heart disease in children. The illness has also just struck the 6-year-old son of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell.
In an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood, the singer recalled the terrifying moment he heard about his son Baylee's diagnosis and his thoughts when he heard the disease being associated with John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son.
"I first heard Kawasaki's and I was like, 'This is just, this is too much,' because we had just battled for the past two weeks. And getting Baylee well, and all this stuff, and then it hits the press," Brian told Access' Shaun Robinson of the news of Jett Travolta's sudden death last week.
Baylee was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease one week before Christmas and just two weeks before the death of Jett, who the Travolta family said had been diagnosed with the same disease.
Brian said he and wife Leighanne felt "helpless" when they found out.
"I remember when we got the report from the echocardiogram," Brian recalled. "His EKG looked fabulous, but the [test] came back and his coronary artery was a 3.3 on the scale — your normal coronary artery in a child should be anywhere form .05 to .08."
"It was a helpless situation," Brian added.
The situation first revealed itself to the Littrell family after Baylee had to be hospitalized for what at first seemed to be flu like symptoms.
"Kawasaki, they call it the great mimicker, because it can mimic other diseases," Brian told Shaun. "We didn't really know what it was… turning into hand, foot and mouth disease, then it turned into bacterial infections, which is a herpes virus. It kept escalating and escalating and before we left the hospital, we had asked the cardiologist for echocardiogram on Baylee's heart."
As it turns out, it was Brian's own health issue that caused him to be proactive about his son's health.
"Baylee's had been complaining since October of having small little chest pains," Brian explained. "I was born with a heart murmur. [His echocardiogram] revealed that there was some inflammation of the coronary artery. What happens is Kawasaki goes directly to the coronary artery and causes it to be enflamed."
But it was an inflammation for Baylee that doctors have since been able to reduce through what Brian calls a multi vitamin antibiotic.
"He's doing well. He just graduated yesterday to his orange belt in karate. He missed a month of karate due to being low key, but we're happy to have him back," Brian said with a sense of relief. "He's a normal 6-year-old and not limited in any way other than being monitored with his coronary artery."
Source: http://www.accesshollywood.com/access-excl...e_article_12926
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Heartache of Backstreet Boy
THE son of Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell has been diagnosed with the same rare disorder suffered by tragic Jett Travolta.
Six-year-old Baylee was found to have Kawasaki Disease just 18 days before Jett died.
And grieving John Travolta is ready to help Brian and his family cope with their son’s condition.
Singer and guitarist Brian, 33, revealed Baylee was allowed home on December 20, five days after the diagnosis.
He said: “Baylee talked about having little chest pains. The hospital staff were absolutely amazing with the exhaustive tests they carried out.
“They made an extremely difficult time in all our lives as comfortable as possible.”
He added: “I’m so thankful he is home now and that we were blessed that he was released from hospital before the holidays.
“Having him with us was the best Christmas gift of all.
“At home we have to monitor his heart ourselves but he is going to be very closely watched by a paediatric cardiologist for the next six to eight weeks.
“The doctors believe they have the disease under control but they told my wife Leighanne and I that his coronary arteries had been compromised, putting him at risk of a heart attack.”
But when 16-year-old Jett died less than three weeks later, it hit the Littrells “like a hammer blow” at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.
A family friend said yesterday: “They were absolutely floored when they heard he had died.
“Their hearts go out to John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
“This was a terrible tragedy at a time when Brian and Leighanne have been very scared for their own son.
“They have heard that the Travolta family want to help them and any other family who are struggling with this terrible condition.”
According to statistics issued by the US Department of Health, fewer than 1% of cases of Kawasaki Disease – which normally affects children under five – prove fatal.
Leighanne, 39, said: “Although Baylee is feeling better, we have been told that the condition can recur, especially in the first month.
“So he’s taking it easy. He loves karate but that’s a no-no and he can’t do any rigorous activity.”
Brian had 13 Top 40 hits with the Backstreet Boys, the world’s most successful boy band with album sales in excess of 100million.
But he did not reveal if he would continue later on the band’s current 104-gig Unbreakable world tour.
It is due to end in March, more than a year after opening in North America, with dates in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa.
It is the second time a personal nightmare has dogged Littrell during a tour.
He came close to dying before open-heart surgery in the middle of a sold-out tour of 39 cities in 1998.
Jett is believed to have had a seizure and hit his head on a bathtub at the luxury home owned by his parents in the Bahamas.
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Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell: La enfermedad de su hijo
El 21 de diciembre, el Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, 33, y su esposa Leighanne, 39, revelaron que su único hijo, Baylee, 6, fue diagnosticado con la enfermedad de kawasaki atípica - una inflamación potencialmente mortal en las arterias coronarias que afecta solo a 15 de 100.000 niños en los Estados Unidos. "Mi pediatra revisó libros tratando de averiguar que es lo que estaba mal", Leighanne, diseñadora de bolsos, dijo a Us, observando que los síntomas incluían fiebre alta y erupciones. "Cuando finalmente oímos, no supimos si llorar o enojarnos". La buena noticia: La enfermedad es tratable con medicamentos intravernosos. "El está en casa ahora", dijo Leighanne. "Nos sentimos bendecidos".
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Posted: Jan 22 2009, 10:07 PM
Thank you to EVERYONE who has written to me about Baylee! Your prayers have gotten our family through a very difficult time. Baylee is getting better everyday. He had a doctors appointment the day after Christmas, and it showed that his right coronary artery is starting to shrink!!! We will be going back to the doctor every 6 weeks. We hope and pray that our next doctors appointment will show yet again more shrinkage of the coronary artery. He is on an aspirin treatment to keep his blood properly moving through his system. This is the only exception to giving children aspirin, other wise it is very dangerous.
Thank you all once again for your love, support and prayers, they mean so much.
God Bless, Leighanne
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The Littrells On The Doctors
Kawasaki Disease
Brian Littrell, of the Backstreet Boys, has a 6-year-old son, Baylee, who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Brian recounts the harrowing ordeal that his he and his family endured. Brian and his wife, Leighanne, were perplexed when Baylee came down with symptoms that wouldn’t go away.
Baylee had swollen lymph nodes and was initially diagnosed with strep throat. But Baylee’s illness persisted and he soon developed a high fever. “We just couldn’t get it under control,” Brian remembers.
An echocardiogram of Baylee’s heart revealed a dangerously engorged coronary artery, at which point the doctors deduced that Baylee had Kawasaki disease, a rare disorder that can affect the heart.
“We really don’t know what causes it,” Dr. Jim says. “We don’t know if it’s viral, bacterial, or some sort of chemical exposure, but only about 1,800 kids are afflicted with it per year.”
Brian adds that Kawasaki disease is called “the great mimicker,” because it mimics many other illnesses. “For all the parents: Be an advocate for your child,” Brian advises.
Inspired by his son’s struggle, Brian founded the Healthy Heart Club, a charity meant to educate children and their families about the benefits of adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle.
On The Mend
Although his bout with Kawaski's lasted awhile, when The Doctors asked Baylee about his experience, the boy replies, "It was the worstest day of my whole entire life!"
Happily,Baylee is on the mend and in fighting shape. He recently kicked his way to an orange belt in Karate and hops onstage to read the teleprompter with Dr.Travis. “Don’t touch that dial. We’ll be right back!”
Source: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_syno...ection=synopsis
KING: The tragedy of the death of John Travolta's son.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta remains with us in Atlanta.
Also, in Atlanta now is Brian and Leighanne Littrell, along with their son, Baylee. Brian is one of the Backstreet Boys. And they recently found out that 6-year-old Baylee has Kawasaki disease.
How did you find it out, Brian?
BRIAN LITTRELL, MEMBER BACKSTREET BOYS, SON HAS KAWASAKI SYNDROME: Well, we — we started with swollen lymph nodes. We went to the doctor. It was strep throat. And then we started some antibiotics. And as the doctor was referring to earlier, everything escalated. And we found out a week before Christmas that he was diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki's disease.
So they were about to let us go. The scary thing, they were about to let us go from the hospital. And the infectious disease doctor came in and said everything looks great. They thought it was a disease called Erythema multiformae, which is a Herpes virus. They were about to let us go from the hospital.
And we asked for an echocardiogram. And they found his coronary artery was a 3.3 on the scale for his size. And that's extremely large.
KING: Yes…
B. LITTRELL: At a one, it's the biggest so.
KING: So, what, Leighanne, is the treatment?
LEIGHANNE LITTRELL, SON HAS KAWASAKI SYNDROME: They do an IVIG through the I.V. And it takes 12 hours. So you can have a reaction to it during (INAUDIBLE). You can have a reaction to it during, but Baylee, again, didn't have a reaction during. He had it after.
So everything he did was atypical.
And what — I want to just stress to every mom and every parent and to everybody, that trust your instincts because, like Brian said, they were going to send us home twice. And our symptoms didn't follow any of the symptoms that you read anywhere.
KING: Does this tragedy today, Brian, give you some pause?
B. LITTRELL: It does. I mean our thoughts and our prayers go out to the Travolta family. It's a tragedy. I mean any parent all over the world that watches, you know, the entertainment shows and finds out the news that's happening, it is tragic. And our thoughts and prayers go out to them.
But we're also, you know, a miracle in the making right here, with being able to find what it was and to be able to address the situation. We went to the cardiologist the day after Christmas and his coronary artery is starting to shrink down back to size. And we're very fortunate. And thanks for all the prayers and all the fans out there that support us.
KING: Dr. Sanjay, he doesn't appear any the worse for it, young Baylee.
GUPTA: Yes. He looks pretty good. He's making a lot of cute faces at the camera there, I see, as well.
You know, that's pretty typical. Once you — once you sort of suppress the immune system — the immune system's sort of in overdrive, Larry. And that's what's causing all the problems. It's causing the inflammation in the blood vessels. Brian was describing that coronary artery, which is the artery on top of the heart that supplies the heart.
That starts to get big. And it's just the inflammation. You the medication to suppress the inflammation and the artery starts to come back down to size.
He's going to need to be monitored to make sure this doesn't come back again. But as you point out, he looks pretty good right now.
B. LITTRELL: He does.
KING: Would it be doubtful, Sanjay, if Jett — if John Travolta's son died of this disease at age 16?
GUPTA: I think so, Larry. It's one of those things where, you know, you can only go by the data. And I certainly have never met Jett and never examined him.
But it's very unusual for someone to have these symptoms after the age of eight or so. And also, the — you know, the heart problems. If there's a problem that causes death, there's a lethal issue, it's usually related to the heart, not so much to the brain, as we're hearing from John Travolta's lawyers and some of the other reporters down there.
So it doesn't all seem to fit together as being related to Kawasaki disease.
KING: Leighanne, is Baylee always this up?
L. LITTRELL: Always. Always. Even more so. You hit him at a calm moment.
KING: Baylee, how are you feeling?
BAYLEE LITTRELL: Good.
KING: Good?
How old are you Baylee?
B. LITTRELL: Six.
KING: So you're in first grade?
Are you in first grade?
L. LITTRELL: Not yet. Say I'm pre — I'm still preschool.
B. LITTRELL: I'm still…
L. LITTRELL: He had a late birthday.
B. LITTRELL: Kindergarten.
B. LITTRELL: Yes, kindergarten.
L. LITTRELL: I'm sorry. Kindergarten.
KING: Yes, kindergarten.
He shows no ill effects, Brian.
B. LITTRELL: No, he doesn't. He doesn't. He's been a little tired. But again, we're — we're dealing with this about 10 days to two weeks later. We got a great report from the cardiologist. But if you saw him two weeks ago, you would not recognize him. I have pictures on my cell phone that I've showed the family and — and it's pretty scary. It's pretty scary.
KING: Oh, really?
L. LITTRELL: It was six days in the hospital.
KING: Well, I know all of our wishes go out to the Travoltas. And thank you for joining us. Brian and Leighanne Littrell and young Baylee.
L. LITTRELL: Thanks.
B. LITTRELL: Thank you.
KING: And thank you, Dr. Gupta, as always.
GUPTA: Thanks, Larry.
KING: I don't think anybody does it better.
GUPTA: Thank you.
--------------------
Brian Littrell & Wife “Deeply Touched for the Travoltas”
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and his wife Leighanne are reaching out to extend their condolences to John Travolta and Kelly Preston following the recent death of their 16-year-old son, Jett.
The Littrells, whose 6-year-old son Baylee was just diagnosed with Atypical Kawasaki Disease (Jett was also reported to have had Kawasaki Disease), tell OK! their hearts are with the grieving family.
"We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas," the Littrell family told OK! in a statement. "We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through. We want to pass on our condolences, our love and prayers."
--------------------
Backstreet Boy Brian Shares Sympathy for Travoltas
Brian Littrell, Baylee Littrell Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys is one celeb who has been personally affected by the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son, Jett...and understandably so.
Just before Christmas, Littrell's son, Baylee, 6, was diagnosed with the rare atypical Kawasaki disease, the same heart affliction Jett had as a child. It can be treated, but Kawasaki can have complications, including irreparable heart damage.
"We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas," the boy bander and his wife, Leighanne, said in a statement to OK!. "We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through."
Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/print/inde...contentId=77600
--------------------
Littrell’s Prayers For Travolta Family
Backstreet Boys star BRIAN LITTRELL has sent his condolences to JOHN TRAVOLTA and KELLY PRESTON following the death of their son JETT.
The 16-year-old died following a seizure at the family's Bahamas holiday retreat on Friday (02Jan09).
The teenager reportedly suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome - a disease which inflames organs mainly in children.
Littrell's six-year-old son Baylee was diagnosed with the disease last month (Dec08), and the link hasn't been lost on the singer, who has sent his "love and prayers" to the actor.
In a statement, Littrell and his wife Leighanne say, "We are so deeply touched for the Travoltas. We thought what we just went through was horrendous enough, so we can't imagine what they are going through. We want to pass on our condolences, our love and prayers." Neither Travolta nor his wife Kelly Preston have ever confirmed their son was a Kawasaki sufferer.
--------------------
Kawasaki Disease Treated With Plasma-Derived Therapy
Kawasaki disease is an uncommon illness that typically affects children between the ages of two and five and is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Kawasaki disease is treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG), a plasma-derived therapy that replaces vital missing antibodies in a person's plasma and that is manufactured by member companies of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA).
As reported recently in the news, Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell's six-year-old son Baylee has been diagnosed with atypical Kawasaki disease. According to Littrell's website posting, "He received IVIG, which is a treatment to bring down the inflammation in his coronary arteries. Baylee will be closely monitored for the next 6-8 weeks by a Pediatric Cardiologist to see if the treatment was effective." Kawasaki disease can inflame and weaken coronary arteries, creating the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attacks.
"IVIG is produced from plasma donated by healthy, committed donors across the country," said Julie Birkofer, PPTA Vice President, North America. Plasma is the straw-colored, liquid portion of whole blood that remains when red blood cells, platelets and other cellular components are removed. It is rich in proteins needed to fight infection, clot blood, and ensure proper lung function.
Source plasma used to produce life-saving therapies like IVIG is donated by healthy, committed individuals at 363 government licensed and International Quality Plasma Program-certified plasma collections centers in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
"Nationwide, tens of thousands of individuals rely on plasma protein therapies to treat rare, chronic diseases and disorders, which include hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, primary immunodeficiency diseases, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Kawasaki disease, and certain autoimmune and neurological disorders," said Birkofer. "These protein replacement therapies are life-saving."
--------------------
Access Exclusive: Brian Littrell On Son’s Kawasaki Disease
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
The Travolta family said their son, Jett, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a syndrome associated with heart disease in children. The illness has also just struck the 6-year-old son of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell.
In an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood, the singer recalled the terrifying moment he heard about his son Baylee's diagnosis and his thoughts when he heard the disease being associated with John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son.
"I first heard Kawasaki's and I was like, 'This is just, this is too much,' because we had just battled for the past two weeks. And getting Baylee well, and all this stuff, and then it hits the press," Brian told Access' Shaun Robinson of the news of Jett Travolta's sudden death last week.
Baylee was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease one week before Christmas and just two weeks before the death of Jett, who the Travolta family said had been diagnosed with the same disease.
Brian said he and wife Leighanne felt "helpless" when they found out.
"I remember when we got the report from the echocardiogram," Brian recalled. "His EKG looked fabulous, but the [test] came back and his coronary artery was a 3.3 on the scale — your normal coronary artery in a child should be anywhere form .05 to .08."
"It was a helpless situation," Brian added.
The situation first revealed itself to the Littrell family after Baylee had to be hospitalized for what at first seemed to be flu like symptoms.
"Kawasaki, they call it the great mimicker, because it can mimic other diseases," Brian told Shaun. "We didn't really know what it was… turning into hand, foot and mouth disease, then it turned into bacterial infections, which is a herpes virus. It kept escalating and escalating and before we left the hospital, we had asked the cardiologist for echocardiogram on Baylee's heart."
As it turns out, it was Brian's own health issue that caused him to be proactive about his son's health.
"Baylee's had been complaining since October of having small little chest pains," Brian explained. "I was born with a heart murmur. [His echocardiogram] revealed that there was some inflammation of the coronary artery. What happens is Kawasaki goes directly to the coronary artery and causes it to be enflamed."
But it was an inflammation for Baylee that doctors have since been able to reduce through what Brian calls a multi vitamin antibiotic.
"He's doing well. He just graduated yesterday to his orange belt in karate. He missed a month of karate due to being low key, but we're happy to have him back," Brian said with a sense of relief. "He's a normal 6-year-old and not limited in any way other than being monitored with his coronary artery."
Source: http://www.accesshollywood.com/access-excl...e_article_12926
--------------------
Heartache of Backstreet Boy
THE son of Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell has been diagnosed with the same rare disorder suffered by tragic Jett Travolta.
Six-year-old Baylee was found to have Kawasaki Disease just 18 days before Jett died.
And grieving John Travolta is ready to help Brian and his family cope with their son’s condition.
Singer and guitarist Brian, 33, revealed Baylee was allowed home on December 20, five days after the diagnosis.
He said: “Baylee talked about having little chest pains. The hospital staff were absolutely amazing with the exhaustive tests they carried out.
“They made an extremely difficult time in all our lives as comfortable as possible.”
He added: “I’m so thankful he is home now and that we were blessed that he was released from hospital before the holidays.
“Having him with us was the best Christmas gift of all.
“At home we have to monitor his heart ourselves but he is going to be very closely watched by a paediatric cardiologist for the next six to eight weeks.
“The doctors believe they have the disease under control but they told my wife Leighanne and I that his coronary arteries had been compromised, putting him at risk of a heart attack.”
But when 16-year-old Jett died less than three weeks later, it hit the Littrells “like a hammer blow” at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.
A family friend said yesterday: “They were absolutely floored when they heard he had died.
“Their hearts go out to John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
“This was a terrible tragedy at a time when Brian and Leighanne have been very scared for their own son.
“They have heard that the Travolta family want to help them and any other family who are struggling with this terrible condition.”
According to statistics issued by the US Department of Health, fewer than 1% of cases of Kawasaki Disease – which normally affects children under five – prove fatal.
Leighanne, 39, said: “Although Baylee is feeling better, we have been told that the condition can recur, especially in the first month.
“So he’s taking it easy. He loves karate but that’s a no-no and he can’t do any rigorous activity.”
Brian had 13 Top 40 hits with the Backstreet Boys, the world’s most successful boy band with album sales in excess of 100million.
But he did not reveal if he would continue later on the band’s current 104-gig Unbreakable world tour.
It is due to end in March, more than a year after opening in North America, with dates in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa.
It is the second time a personal nightmare has dogged Littrell during a tour.
He came close to dying before open-heart surgery in the middle of a sold-out tour of 39 cities in 1998.
Jett is believed to have had a seizure and hit his head on a bathtub at the luxury home owned by his parents in the Bahamas.
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Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell: La enfermedad de su hijo
El 21 de diciembre, el Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, 33, y su esposa Leighanne, 39, revelaron que su único hijo, Baylee, 6, fue diagnosticado con la enfermedad de kawasaki atípica - una inflamación potencialmente mortal en las arterias coronarias que afecta solo a 15 de 100.000 niños en los Estados Unidos. "Mi pediatra revisó libros tratando de averiguar que es lo que estaba mal", Leighanne, diseñadora de bolsos, dijo a Us, observando que los síntomas incluían fiebre alta y erupciones. "Cuando finalmente oímos, no supimos si llorar o enojarnos". La buena noticia: La enfermedad es tratable con medicamentos intravernosos. "El está en casa ahora", dijo Leighanne. "Nos sentimos bendecidos".
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Posted: Jan 22 2009, 10:07 PM
Thank you to EVERYONE who has written to me about Baylee! Your prayers have gotten our family through a very difficult time. Baylee is getting better everyday. He had a doctors appointment the day after Christmas, and it showed that his right coronary artery is starting to shrink!!! We will be going back to the doctor every 6 weeks. We hope and pray that our next doctors appointment will show yet again more shrinkage of the coronary artery. He is on an aspirin treatment to keep his blood properly moving through his system. This is the only exception to giving children aspirin, other wise it is very dangerous.
Thank you all once again for your love, support and prayers, they mean so much.
God Bless, Leighanne
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The Littrells On The Doctors
Kawasaki Disease
Brian Littrell, of the Backstreet Boys, has a 6-year-old son, Baylee, who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Brian recounts the harrowing ordeal that his he and his family endured. Brian and his wife, Leighanne, were perplexed when Baylee came down with symptoms that wouldn’t go away.
Baylee had swollen lymph nodes and was initially diagnosed with strep throat. But Baylee’s illness persisted and he soon developed a high fever. “We just couldn’t get it under control,” Brian remembers.
An echocardiogram of Baylee’s heart revealed a dangerously engorged coronary artery, at which point the doctors deduced that Baylee had Kawasaki disease, a rare disorder that can affect the heart.
“We really don’t know what causes it,” Dr. Jim says. “We don’t know if it’s viral, bacterial, or some sort of chemical exposure, but only about 1,800 kids are afflicted with it per year.”
Brian adds that Kawasaki disease is called “the great mimicker,” because it mimics many other illnesses. “For all the parents: Be an advocate for your child,” Brian advises.
Inspired by his son’s struggle, Brian founded the Healthy Heart Club, a charity meant to educate children and their families about the benefits of adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle.
On The Mend
Although his bout with Kawaski's lasted awhile, when The Doctors asked Baylee about his experience, the boy replies, "It was the worstest day of my whole entire life!"
Happily,Baylee is on the mend and in fighting shape. He recently kicked his way to an orange belt in Karate and hops onstage to read the teleprompter with Dr.Travis. “Don’t touch that dial. We’ll be right back!”
Source: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_syno...ection=synopsis
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