Fundraiser set for local boy still in treatment in Denver

A Pizza Hut Fundraiser is set for Thursday for a local boy who has been in Denver since last fall being treated for an illness.

Jayce Lodge Pole, 6, has been undergoing bone marrow transplants to treat mutations caused by steroid and immunosuppressant drugs which he has had to use since he was 1 due to his auto immune gastroenteritis, his mother, Elizabeth Lodge Pole said.

She said the doctors are waiting to see how well the transplants work, which are progressing a little slower than hoped.

"We're hoping we'll be back soon," she said.

Lodge Pole said they had been able to treat Jayce's auto immune gastroenteritis. although it causes issues with his growth and development - "He's also probably had more colonoscopies than most 65-year-olds" - until about January of last year, when he started having trouble breathing.

She took him to the emergency room and was eventually flown to Kalispell and then Denver, now with bleeding problems due to low platelet count as well as the breathing problem. This led to multiple journeys between Kalispell and Denver, and he was in and out of hospitals and emergency rooms, she said.

In June, a doctor told her Jayce had an extremely rare condition, STAT 3 gain of functions mutation, with fewer than 20 people having that diagnosis.

After a series of medications did not help, with Jayce going from Havre to Kalispell every two weeks for infusions, bleeding and respiratory issues that led to Jayce needing oxygen at home, in September he had a nosebleed while getting ready for school, Lodge Pole said. She ended up taking him to the emergency room when she could not stop the nosebleed, ending up again in Kalispell. There, his breathing took a turn for the worse and he was placed on a ventilator and flown to Denver Sept. 8, "and hasn't been home since," Lodge Pole said.

Dec. 8, he was admitted and prepared for a bone marrow transplant from his older brother, Kya, who was a perfect match, she said.

"The doctors say it could take up to two years for his immune system to be fully rebuilt if his body doesn't reject the new bone marrow," she said.

Thursday, when anyone says they are donating to Jayce's fundraiser when making a purchase at Pizza Hut, the restaurant will donate 20 percent of the purchase price to his account.

"Its been a long year, and without the support and prayers not only from family and friends, but from complete strangers, I don't think we could have made it this far with our sanity," Lodge Pole said in a post on the Facebook page about Jayce's treatment. "We can't express our gratitude for everyone who's reached out to help support us in every way. We will never be able to repay all those who have helped us, and although we'll never know all the names and be able to personally thank everyone, we hope they know their generosity was truly appreciated and we will forever be grateful. There are no words to describe the feelings we have knowing that our child is being thought of by so many people and, again, we thank you."