Vaccines are definitely all over the news these days. As we await the arrival of new (and enough) vaccines for Covid-19 I thought I’d share a little about what vaccines have meant for the Kulmans in the past in the future… 

Both Eli and Jacob had the typical childhood vaccines when they were little. However as they continued to fight illness doctors realized that the vaccines didn’t work on them. This was proven by a titer test (a titer is measures antibodies in the blood to check for disease immunity).

Once they were diagnosed with IPEX this made more sense, and it became clear that they should be avoiding vaccinations. 

Medical Research says “All vaccinations are best avoided in patients with known or suspected IPEX, since immunizations (like infections) can trigger severe and even fatal disease flares.” 

This is why it is SOOOOO important that WE ALL get immunizations and vaccinations regularly. Kids like Eli and Jacob all over the world rely on herd immunity. The more we vaccinate the safer the world becomes for them, people undergoing cancer treatments, and for those who are immune deficient. 

For obvious reasons there are no studies on the COVID vaccine right now for IPEX and transplant patients like Eli and Jakey. This again is why it’s so important to get vaccinated for Covid-19 as soon as you are able and allowed. Ali and Dave hope to get theirs as soon as they can. 

Right now Eli and Jacob basically have no immune system due to the intense 10 days of chemo they undertook prior to their transplants. Now their new immune systems and new bone marrow are developing. After one year they will be receiving all of the childhood vaccinations in sequence as if they were newborns. It’s kind of neat to think of them as newborns – newly reborn with healthy cells! We are so pleased with the progress they have made so far. 

Even so, they are still quite fatigued most of the time, and they miss their friends and family so much. Please consider sending them a Valentine’s Day Card to lift their spirits. We are collecting cards this week (deadline extended to Feb 5th) and want to send a HUGE batch up to them. 

Please send them or drop them off at the home of Laura Brooks: 

517 Meridian Street, Falls Church, VA 22046

And here’s an adorable picture of the boys when they were younger just for your weekly dose of cuteness : )