If you were part of the ad/marketing technology scene in the Greater Washington metro area in the late nineties thru and past the millennium you most definitely know the name Mitch Arnowitz.  Mitch was the caretaker and the leader of a burgeoning marketing and PR community that could be found on the Netpreneur Exchange, which in an of itself was part of a regional project of the Marino Institute.

One day, we all received an email entitled “One of our own is in need”.  It had to do with the tragic plight of the young son one of the list’s members, Allen Goldberg.  Alan’s son, Henry, had Fanconi anemia, a disease that was to take his life at age seven.  Henry’s parents have now founded Hope for Henry, and organization that, to quote from their website, “has developed a comprehensive program to create positive, enriching experiences for young patients being treated at the nation’s top pediatric oncology and hematology wards.”

Mitch is a father himself and recently found out that his nine-year old son, Elan, is need.  Thank God it is not as tragic as the situation that affected Henry, but nevertheless, Elan’s illness is quite serious.  Elan has Perthes Disease, a condition that degenerate the hip.  The family has set up a website, called Elan is a Hip Guy, to tell of his progress.  I’ll cut and paste from “Elans Story”

On November 7, Elan had an external fixator surgically mounted onto his hip. The fixator rests on the outside of his body and will be in place for 4 months. This device pulls the hip or femur bone back, allowing new cartilage to take shape. It is this cartilage that will ultimately form a new hip ball and socket for Elan. Once the fixator is removed, Elan will be in a brace for several months. He will then use crutches, a walker and wheelchair to get around.

The key to this condition is to be ‘non-weight bearing’ until the new hip takes shape. Unfortunately, this process takes several years. The goal to any treatment plan is to create as round a ball as possible. This helps force a better outcome as Elan and his hips get older.

The external fixator procedure is out of the experimental stage and being pioneered in the country by 2 surgeons, one of which will do Elan’s procedure in Baltimore, Maryland at the Rubin Institute’s International Center for Limb Lengthening. The center is part of Sinai Hospital. The center has been doing this work for the past 5 years and is seeing good results in older children.

I’d ask that you take a look at the site and look at the smile of this beautiful child.  He seems to be a fighter.  You’ll see it in his smile.

Mitch doesn’t know I’m writing this, but I’m going to extend and invitation to him to join us here on Dad-o-matic.