Camren has been treated at SickKids throughout his life. He was born with sickle cell disease, inherited from both of his parents who carried the sickle cell trait. Patients with this disease have abnormally shaped blood cells, which have difficulty passing through veins and organs. The “sickling” of red blood cells results in pain and organ damage. Camren was also diagnosed with G6PD deficiency, which has the potential of causing further challenges with his red blood cells if he gets a fever or takes certain medications.
The severe nature of his illnesses have resulted in several admissions to SickKids’ ICU where he has received life-saving treatment, including numerous blood transfusions and surgeries. During one admission, he became completely limp—a reaction to an antibiotic he had been taking. The SickKids team worked quickly to save his life. Thankfully, after several days, Camren stabilized, gradually regaining his strength. He was eventually able to be weaned from the life-saving medications and machinery in the ICU. He then began the slow work to regain function and strength. Despite everything he has been through, he remains a clever, creative, mature young man who loves soccer, video games and brain teasers.
Because of his unique health challenges, Camren has relied on the expertise of many specialists throughout SickKids, many of them unavailable in most community hospitals. Camren and his parents are grateful to SickKids for the exceptional care he’s received throughout his life and are giving back by serving as SickKids Ambassadors.
