Earlier this week, it was announced that Jimbo Fisher and his wife, Candi Fisher, would be holding a press conference today to discuss the health of their six-year-old son, Ethan.
Unfortunately, the news was not good. The Fisher family revealed that Ethan has a rare disease called Fanconi Anemia, which affects only one in about 300,000 children.
According to University of Minnesota pediatrician Margaret L. MacMillan, who is working with the Fisher family directly, children who have Fanconi Anemia have an extraordinary high risk of cancer, including leukemia. Even with a bone marrow transplant, the threat of cancer still exists.
The average age of diagnosis for children with the disease is seven, and the average age of transplant is 11. Currently, Ethan isn’t undergoing any treatment, and likely won’t until the transplant is needed.
The press conference, as you could imagine, was very emotional, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking to see two parents dealing with the health of their son. The Fisher family has started a foundation -- the Jimbo and Candi Fisher Kidz 1st Fund -- to raise awareness and funding for Fanconi Anemia.
Of course, here’s the official website if you’d like to help out.
Or, you can go to bethematch.org to sign up to donate bone marrow.
Once again, our thoughts and prayers are with the Fisher family during this most difficult time.