Glen Ellyn man with Crohn's disease seeks normal life
David Ward had just returned from a vacation in 2001 when he developed abdominal pain so severe that he spent weeks in the hospital.
He compares the pain to being kicked in the stomach after swallowing red-hot razor blades. Then there's the diarrhea, vomiting and dramatic weight loss that comes with it.
It's been determined the 37-year-old Glen Ellyn native is suffering from Crohn's disease, a chronic disorder that causes inflammation in the digestive system. For Ward, his colon becomes inflamed after an overreaction by his body's immune system.
Since his initial flare-up, Ward has been rushed to the emergency room countless times for dehydration and pain. He has been so ill the past few years that he even missed the birth of his 2-year-old daughter, Stella, because he was in a different hospital.
"It's been really rough," said Ward, who is living in New Jersey. "Because for the first two years of her life, I've basically been in the hospital or recovering at home. This disease has really made of mess of things in every way."
Ward said he wants nothing more than to have a normal life with his wife, Mala, and their young daughter.
While there's no cure for Crohn's disease, Ward is eligible for a bone-marrow transplant that, if successful, could reset Ward's immune system so it no longer overreacts. The procedure also could make it possible for Ward to once again take medications to treat his Crohn's disease symptoms.
"At this point, there are no medications that I respond to," he said.
But the bone-marrow transplant costs about $300,000, and Ward was refused health coverage for the entire transplant process. His insurance provider also won't pay for most of the follow-up care and medication Ward would need to ensure his body accepts the bone marrow.
The problem, according to Ward, is that his insurance provider pays only for procedures that have been FDA approved for more than 10 years. The transplant he's seeking received FDA approval about five years ago.
In the meantime, Ward feels like he's running out of time.
"The way it's been for me the past two and a half years, I can be OK one week and in the hospital the next," Ward said. "It happens really fast. So I don't know if I can wait."
For Mary Ward, David's mother, the final straw came in October when she saw her son in the hospital.
"I looked at him and said, 'We've got to do this (transplant). We've just got to try do what we can ourselves,'" Mary Ward said. "So that's what we're doing."
The family turned to the National Foundation for Transplants for assistance. The NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps patients raise money for transplant-related expenses.
Mary Ward, who co-owns The Village Herbalist in downtown Glen Ellyn, says other business owners have responded by putting out collection cans. A December benefit concert raised about $7,000.
To date, the family has raised nearly half of the $100,000 deposit Ward needs to receive the transplant.
"If he (David) was in (a) desperate spin right now, we would just mortgage our house," Mary Ward said. "But we would like - because we're older - to not have to do that. We would like to have him go in free and clear, because there's going to be expenses no matter what."
So the fundraising continues Saturday night with a "Bowl 4 Life" bowling benefit from 9 to 11:30 p.m. at Fox Bowl, 1101 Butterfield Road, Wheaton. Admission is $30. The benefit will include a raffle and silent auction.
In the meantime, Mary Ward says she's "very hopeful" that all the money needed will be raised in the coming months.
"We are believers," she said. "And we believe that what happens is the right thing to have happen."
To make donations in honor of Ward, visit transplants.org and click on "patients we help" to search for him. Contributions also can be mailed to the NFT New Jersey Bone Marrow Fund, 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Be sure to write "in honor of David Ward" in the memo line.
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>What:</b> "Bowl 4 Life" bowlathon and benefit</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Why:</b> Proceeds help Glen Ellyn native David Ward pay for a bone marrow transplant to fight Crohn's disease</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>When:</b> 9 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, March 13</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Where:</b> Fox Bowl, 1101 Butterfield Road, Wheaton</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Tickets:</b> $30</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Info:</b> (630) 942-1416 or <a href="mailto:dollars4david@villherb.com">dollars4david@villherb.com</a></p>