Biography continued…
Beyond my experience fishing, I’d like to tell you a little about me personally. I returned to church on 9/11 to pray for the victims of that day and our nation. When I saw the planes hit the World Trade Center, I felt God was saying, “Return to Me!” My Christian beliefs have guided my life since that day, and I could not survive without my faith in Jesus. I do announcements for a local church on Sunday Radio. I am a wife and a mother. My husband, Joseph and I have been married for 15 years. He and I are both artists. We live in rural Clay County Alabama. I have 2 children. Brandi is 24 and a practicing nurse. She and her husband Rick just purchased their first bass boat to fish tournaments. My son Jesse is 13. Jesse played Junior Varsity football for the first time in his life this year. Clay County has a history of producing some of the best football players in the state. He fishes, but is still impatient. Jesse's interest include skateboarding. Our family loves the outdoors. Our vacations usually include our animals.

Jesse became sick in July of 2001. It took 9 months and seeking advise from many specialist to learn that Jesse is among only 2,100 children in the US who have a growth hormone deficiency, with no apparent cause. Growth hormone deficiency, GHD, is a pituitary disorder resulting in short stature and other physical ailments. GHD occurs when the production of growth hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, is disrupted. Since growth hormone plays a critical role in stimulating body growth and development, and is involved in the production of muscle protein and in the breakdown of fats, a decrease in the hormone affects numerous body processes. Oddly, there was not a treatment for his health issue until the year he was born. They can now treat the problem with rDNA. Genentech provides my son with Nutropin. Jesse is improving and is now the picture of health. He’s strong, healthy and a handsome 13 year old thanks to research efforts of Genentech and care through the Children’s Hospital System. He is under the care of a wonderful Nephrologist and a wise Urologist at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Pediatric Kidney Stone Clinic. The clinic is one of only 3 in the United States. Jesse sees one of the best Endocrinologist in the state of Alabama at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

My husband continued to work and I quit 2 jobs, one as an artist and the other a part time employee for Victoria Secret to home school Jesse during what I can only call a time of adjustment and recovery from the effects of a lack of growth hormone prior to his diagnosis. Jesse returned to public school in August of this year. We are confident in the care he receives.
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