Home Away From Home At Kennedy Krieger’s hospital, every staff member knows Andy. They’ve given him a reason to smile. Andy, 3, has a true zest for life. He loves playing with his older brother, Josh, and their puppy and pet goat. He loves books, video games and the Baltimore Ravens. He scoots around on his wheelchair, keeping pace with his friends. He’s pretty much always smiling. “I walked into his room one day, and he was beaming from ear to ear,” says occupational therapist Scott Frampton of his first meeting with Andy, then about 6 months old and staying in Kennedy Krieger’s inpatient hospital for a special infusion. Andy has Bruck syndrome, a type of osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. Both his bones and his joints are affected, explains Dr. Mahim Jain, director of the Institute’s 8
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Clinic. At birth, Andy’s legs were bent so far behind him that his feet were touching his back. He’s experienced close to two dozen bone fractures. It’s possible that Andy has been admitted to Kennedy Krieger’s inpatient hospital more times than any other child over the past decade, says Dr. Michelle Melicosta, the Institute’s associate chief medical officer. That’s because every two to three months, from 5 months to 2 years old, Andy spent a weekend at the Institute’s hospital receiving a special infusion to strengthen his bones. “We wanted to have him under full observation during those early infusions,” Dr. Melicosta explains. “And by infusing over the weekends, we could support his parents by minimizing their time off work.”
