Childhood Hospital Memory Inspires Gift

At seven years old, Christopher was diagnosed with common variable immune deficiency (CVID) and was told he would have to undergo four-hour plasma infusions weekly for the rest of his life.

“Christopher was very sick with sinus infections, ear infections, and pneumonia starting at the age of 18 months,” his mother, Marcy, said, “Each time we went to the doctor or hospital, he was treated for whatever was ailing him at the time. We eventually had to see an immunologist who was able to diagnose him. We were lucky it was caught early; for this genetic condition, most people don’t get diagnosed until their teens or early adulthood.”

CVID is a common immunodeficiency, characterized by low levels of serum immunoglobulins and antibodies, which causes an increased susceptibility to infection. During one of his first plasma infusions, a child life specialist at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio gave Christopher a teddy bear that he named Baxter, which also had its own pretend needles and plasma bag. Baxter quickly became Christopher’s source of comfort and accompanied him for his weekly treatments from then on.

Today, Christopher is 16 years old and in the 10^th grade. While he continues to face the struggles of CVID every day, his determination and positive attitude have helped him live a full life. Christopher became involved in Cub Scouts when he was in the 4^th grade and after five years as a Boy Scout, he recently earned his Eagle Scout. He chose The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio as the beneficiary of his Eagle Scout project in August 2015: Comfort Bears.

“I will always remember the difference Baxter made for me, thanks to the child life specialist,” said Christopher. “Now I want to give back to the children what I was given. I hope my project will bring comfort to patients in the Hospital like Baxter did for me.”

Christopher planned, recruited and led dozens of volunteers, and fundraised to accomplish the goal of his Eagle Scout project.  The group created 200 Comfort Bears, all of which had scriptures included in the stuffing.

“I raised funds by asking people to sponsor a bear for $2.50,” Christopher added. “With each sponsorship, the donor was able to submit their favorite scripture of comfort to be put inside the bear. I wanted to include scripture so that the bears would be blessed by God’s Holy Words and hopefully the children would be comforted by that blessing.”

Christopher delivered 200 bears to the Child Life team at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio in October 2015, along with $150 he had left over from his fundraising efforts.

“Christopher looks like a perfectly healthy 16-year-old boy. What you can’t see is that he has chronic joint pain, epilepsy, asthma, and several other issues that he will have to face for the rest of his life due to CVID — and he has never let it hold him back,” Marcy added. “He always found a way to earn his Scout merit badges – even if they weren’t Eagle requirements. A lot of his success is because of his perseverance and just wanting to make a difference for others. He has a big heart; the children were the biggest part of his motivation for this project. The best advice I ever got from his physicians was: ‘Let him live’, so we did. He’s living his best life, while improving the lives of others. We couldn’t be prouder.”