By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — While some students wouldn’t necessarily be looking forward to the start of school, at least one township boy is thanking his lucky stars he is now able to attend.
T.C. Pearson, 15, who will be attending East Brunswick High School in the fall, didn’t always feel well enough to go to school full-time. In fact, only a couple of years ago, he was getting through Churchill Junior High School by using a monitor in his house which linked him to a classroom.
T.C. suffers from nephritic syndrome, a condition that affects his kidneys. Though he’s just into his teens, he has already had both of his natural kidneys removed. In fact, the first kidney he received as a transplant became infected with the disease as well, according to his aunt and legal guardian, Fran Pearson. He is now living with his second transplanted kidney, which has remained free of infection due to an experimental treatment.
"If he loses this kidney quickly, he will never be able to get another transplant," Mrs. Pearson said.
Unfortunately, the family is at loggerheads with the insurance company, which said it will not pay for the experimental treatment. Saddled with medical bills, the family has thrown itself on the township’s generosity.
"In March, he had his second transplant," Mrs. Pearson said. "Immediately after that, they found the disease recurred. The doctors immediately ordered the sessions," she said, referring to a process called plasma fereses, which is similar to dialysis. The method was very effective but also costly, she said. T.C. received treatments three times a week for three weeks for a total of almost $10,000.
The treatment was successful in thwarting the infection, she said, and T.C. feels better than he has in a long time.
The goal is to help him maintain the kidney for another five to 10 years, at which point he could receive another transplant, she said.
But that’s where the insurance problems really come into play. Because the family’s insurance will not cover the plasma fereses treatments, doctors are instead using a drug to help preserve the kidney. The drug treatment is covered by medical insurance, but is likely inferior to the plasma method, Pearson said.
"He’d probably be getting the plasma if the insurance covered it," she said.
"He’s feeling good now," she said. "His life has been turned completely around because of the treatment."
But the family — including T.C.’s uncle, Wayne, and sister, Candice — is still faced with paying off the bills from the transplant and the plasma treatment, as well as worrying about having to fund it again should the other drug stop working. But the community has let T.C. know he doesn’t stand alone in his plight.
His uncle, Michael Russo, said the family has placed canisters in local stores to raise money for the treatments. The canisters show a picture of T.C. and a small article about him.
The response, he said, has been overwhelming.
"All of these canisters have been jammed with money," Russo said.
Also, at a recent Township Council meeting, Mayor William Neary discussed T.C.’s situation and spoke about the need to support him.
The family also has a Bowl-A-Thon fund-raiser scheduled at the AMF Mid-State Lanes, Route 18, on Sept. 1.
T.C. has another strong ally — the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA). The Indiana-based organization offers help to children who have had organ transplants.
"The mission is really fantastic," Russo said. "Any kid under 18 who has had an organ transplant becomes viable to raise funds for."
The group teaches families how to raise money, and also adds additional money. For every $10,000 the family raises, COTA will add $2,500.
"They get money from AT&T and the American Legion for their administrative costs," Russo said. "They also get private donations from companies."
The family has also received help from doctors treating T.C., Mrs. Pearson said.
"If the drug is not effective, the doctors assured me money won’t stand in the way," Pearson said.
"The hospital (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick) said until we get this straight, they will take care of the kid and get the bills paid later," Russo said, adding that kindness is "a rarity" in these times.
"I’m humbled by the fact that there are so many good people around who don’t get any publicity," he said, referring to all the support T.C. has received.
Pearson said T.C. contracted the disease when he was 18 months old, and it progressed into renal failure in 2000, which is when dialysis was started. The dialysis often made him tired and lethargic, his aunt said.
"His quality of life at that point was pretty poor," she said.
During part of 2000, T.C. actually had both his kidneys in addition to a transplanted one. In September of that year, his natural kidneys were removed, Pearson said. The transplanted kidney did not fare much better, though.
"They found out the new kidney was infected with the same disease, and it was going to fail," she said.
In April 2001, that kidney too was removed, meaning T.C. went almost a year — from April 2001 to March 2002 — without any kidneys, she said.
The family has estimated that $50,000 is needed for T.C.’s transplant expenses, which includes some post-transplant care. Donations, which are completely tax-deductible, can be made in person at any First Union National Bank branch or mailed to Children’s Organ Transplant Association at 2501 COTA Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403. Checks or money orders can be made payable to "COTA for T.C." and account number 3000025435547 should be written in the memo space.
Those wishing to volunteer to raise money, or organizations wishing to help can call campaign manager Adina Marcus at (732) 297-2904.