Testimonials

Justin Akin – The Matthew and Andrew Akin Foundation

Matthew and Andrew spent a total of thirty-three months in three different top ranked pediatric hospitals. During their stays we were always with them. Every night, every day and did everything for them that the hospital would allow. Whether it was changing every diaper, holding them for biopsies or giving their meds, we took a hands-on approach. So, this recommendation does not come without personal experience.

What we learned was this: choosing a hospital based on the rankings, new facilities or closest proximity to your home is not the way to go. At the end of the day, you want to be where the experts are located.

As we all know, knowledge comes through experience and where there are expert doctors there is usually up and coming research being done as well. This was the case at Cincinnati Children's as they specialize in not only bone marrow transplants, but specifically immune deficiencies and most of the latest HLH research is coming out of Cincinnati Children's.

The team at Cincinnati Children's is routinely traveling to conferences all over the globe to educate other doctors on the advancements in HLH treatment.

In addition to the knowledge, we thought the team approach to rounds was extremely important and helped reduce the rate of error. By having a doctor from each discipline present, everyone was able to discuss the issues, concerns and plan for each day. Daily rounds typically consisted of between 12-15 people. Due to the serious and complex nature of these children, only attending physicians and fellows were involved in their care.

It is important to note that we received great care at all three hospitals but our experience within the bone marrow transplant unit at Cincinnati Children's was far and away the best.

We realize there is no panacea or perfect place; however, despite the outcome of our boys we truly believe that Cincinnati Children's is the best hospital in the world for a pediatric bone marrow transplant, especially for immune deficiencies. They have one of the busiest bone marrow transplant units in the country and children come from all over the world for treatment. We just wish we had started our journey at Cincinnati Children's.

If you are interested talking to the doctors at Cincinnati Children's please call 855-346-6627 or fill out this form. If you would like to talk with me about my family’s experience, you can email me at Justin@matthewandandrew.org or call 844-201-5469.