Fox5 D.C. Story Features Infant Member with Rare Cancer Being Treated by Permanente Pediatric Oncologist

Fox5 D.C. on Thursday, Nov.10, featured a moving story about Blake Thomas, a nine-month old Kaiser Permanente member who needs a liver donor.

“Blake has a malignant tumor of his liver which involves multiple areas in the liver, and we’ve been desperately searching for the ability to give him a liver transplant.” said Dr. Marianna Horn, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group.

Blake was born prematurely and spent nearly 130 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, where he fought through brain hemorrhages and heart surgery while his underdeveloped organs grew. After four months in the NICU, Blake’s family finally got to bring their little fighter home. While Blake has conquered many health challenges, he now has a rare liver cancer that can no longer be treated with chemotherapy. Obtaining a new liver is his next obstacle.

The family, along with Dr. Horn — one of several highly credentialed pediatric subspecialists hired by Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in the last few years to enable Kaiser Permanente to care for members with increasingly complex situations —appeared on Fox5 D.C. to discuss the importance of finding Blake a matching donor.

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/215385819-story