Lion #115 was given to Bridger when he was preparing to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Now, Bridger passes on Ryan's Lions to other children he meets who need a little extra "courage." Read More about Bridger by clicking "Read More" below.

On October 1st 2008 our four-year-old son Bridger started to run a fever.  This was not a big surprise because it was fall. Every year of his life up to this point he had been hospitalized for a minimum of seven days due to lung related infections. This always seemed to happen in the fall and winter months.  His doctors never diagnosed any chronic
condition.

On October 3rd a chest x-ray showed that his lungs were in good condition, which was a relief.  I was paranoid that he had another infection in his lungs that would put us back in the hospital again. So, this seemed to be good news and I now had hope that this was just some small sickness that would quickly pass. But things didn’t ever improve. Bridger continued to get very high fevers for the next 10 days.  When his fevers would spike he would get the shakes and his fingers, toes and around his mouth would turn blue.  When I took him back to the Dr. and they saw his appearance they became immediately concerned and sent us straight to the emergency room.  For the next five days they ran a battery of tests and performed a brochoscopy.  During this time it was first mentioned that he might have Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD).

In the hospital Bridger continued to go downhill.  His vitals were erratic, his stomach began hurting and he became very dehydrated. As a result he had to receive IV fluids.  This was very problematic because Bridger’s veins kept collapsing.  The doctors decided to tap the IV directly into his artery. This is a painful procedure.  While the IV was being placed, Bridger was whispering, “be brave, be brave” and he was.  On our fifth day in the hospital his heart rate skyrocketed and his face started to swell.  He was constantly complaining about stomach pain and was very thirsty.  From an ultrasound, we found out that his gut had stopped working. Through that night his heart rate remained high and his blood pressure began dropping.  We were admitted into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

In the meantime, blood tests that had been sent out to a specialty lab confirmed a bacterial infection in his blood that had originated in his intestines.  The particular infection he had was typical in patients with CGD.  We where relived to know that we had likely found the source of the problem, but were very worried due do his present condition.  They put him on three potent antibiotics right away, but he was still getting worse.  Bridger’s body was going into septic shock.  His liver and kidneys began shutting down and he got water around his heart.  His body was shutting down.   The entire day they worked at keeping him alive. We weren’t allowed to be with him until they were finally able to stabilize him.  When we finally got to see him, he was fully sedated and we were told not to try to communicate much with him because they didn’t want him to be stimulated.  He was hooked up to a ventilator and had multi-port IV’s in both legs and in his neck.  He had as many as 10 meds going into him at the same time.  He was a very sick little boy and there was no guarantee he would make it.  Every hour in the PICU brought something new, both good and bad.  His little body was pumped full of fluid and was nearly twice his normal size.  His feet began turning a deep purple and black because his small blood vesicles had collapsed and cut off much of his circulation.  We were warned that he would likely lose some of his toes and maybe even his feet.  But this was a secondary concern at this point.  The doctors found that the infection had settled in his gallbladder, which had become extremely inflamed.  They decided to take Bridger to surgery and remove his gallbladder, but were concerned about his weakened condition.  It was a risky procedure, but we couldn’t take the chance of having his gallbladder rupture because the subsequent spread of infection would likely have claimed his life.  After many kisses and a whole lot of hope and prayers, they rushed him into surgery.  A couple of hours later, he had made it through surgery and a very enlarged, infected gallbladder had been removed.  Following the surgery his condition stabilized somewhat.

Over the next few days the doctors worked on opening his blood vesicles in his feet. With a lot of prayers and excellent care his feet began to improve.  The skin in the affected areas eventually sloughed off, but his feet and toes were saved.  Many of the nurses thought this was a miracle.  From this point the road to recovery was long.  Bridger remained sedated and on the ventilator for about two and a half weeks during which time he turn five years old.  As he continued to get better we would talked to him and tell him that we loved him and if he wanted to tell us that he loved us he could squeeze our hand.  He always gave a good tight squeeze.

We spent many hours by his side reading to him and holding his hand.  The rest of the time was spent praying.  Eventually, the sedatives were reduced and he became more responsive.  The first time we sat him up he couldn’t even hold his head up by himself.  He had lost much of his strength.  On Halloween we got to move out of the PICU to the oncology unit, where he slowly gained back his strength.  Once strong enough, he had to go back into surgery to remove part of his lung that was infected and permanently damaged.  During this time he was officially diagnosed with CGD.  CGD is an immunodeficiency where white blood cells don’t produce hydrogen peroxide to kill off antigens.  His body couldn’t fight certain bacterial infections, molds, or funguses.  This is a very rare disorder, with only about 20 new cases each year in the United States.  Luckily there is a cure for it; a bone marrow transplant.

He was discharged from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving. Bridger received his Lion from Ryan and Ryan’s Aunt Marilee shortly after we got home.  It helped us several times to have courage during the many follow up doctors visits, which required blood draws and other tests that were preformed as prescreens for transplantation.  Eight months later with a willing donor and thousands of people praying and giving support to him, Bridger underwent ten days of intense chemotherapy and received his new bone marrow.  He was hospitalized during the transplant for approximately one month and had a smile almost the entire time.  His Lion was with him during those long days and he hugged it tight whenever he needed to be extra brave.  Bridger is now 80 plus days after transplant and getting stronger every day. We are out of the hospital but have visits a couple times a week.  Before the transplant he told a nurse, “I am the bravest boy in the whole world.”  I know his inspiring attitude and courage have been shaped by three things; first, his Lion with it’s accompanying stories of others who have had to endure.  Second, the love and support he has received from so many.  And third, his faith in a loving Heavenly Father who will do what is best for him.

There have been a couple of occasions since Bridger received his Lion, where he has seen others who are suffering.  The first thing he has suggested is to give them a Lion.  I know it has been a great comfort to him. 

Editor's Note: Bridger requested several more lions, and we were happy to provide him with additional Ryan's Lions that he could "pass on" to others he met who were in need of a little bit of extra courage.

Bridger passed on the following Lions to others:

Lion #143
Lion #144
Lion #145
Lion #149 Whitney

With these lions, Bridger's Family includes the following message: May it bring you and your family the same hope, courage and Love it has brought us.  From the heart of a little boy who understands, please accept this gift.