Miles

Miles Gentry was swollen like a wet and bloated Nerf ball.

“It all started in September 2005, with what looked like a flea bite on his ankle,” says his mother, Lisa. “We took him to the emergency department at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. The medical staff thought it was an infection and gave us antibiotics.”

But Miles wasn’t getting better. He developed a 102 degree fever that wouldn’t break.

“He’d play all day and was normal, but as soon as night came, his ankle would hurt and swell so bad he couldn’t even walk,” says Lisa. “We went back to Memorial, they knew something was wrong.”

Miles was tested for Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy cells and tissues. It is characterized by episodes of inflammation and damage to joints, tendons, and other connective tissues and organs. The heart, lungs, kidneys and brain can be most affected. The tests were positive.

Memorial referred Miles to Children’s Hospital Central California’s board certified Rheumatologist Dowain Wright, M.D., Ph.D., who specializes in treating children with rheumatic diseases like Lupus.

“The morning of his appointment, he woke up and looked like a blowfish. His face was so swollen,” says his mother. “He couldn’t even walk.”

“He went from 68 pounds to 98 pounds in a week, his kidneys weren’t working,” says his father Danny, a truck driver who was in Seattle at the time and rushed back to Miles’ bedside. “It was the most difficult moment of our lives.”

The bloated youngster had Class IV Glomerulonephritis, one of the most severe types of kidney disease that affect children with Lupus - fatal if not treated. Miles was given medications to help his kidneys and remove excess fluids. An astonishing 12 liters was drained. “I was a nervous wreck,” Lisa recalls. “The nurses really helped me out a lot through the support they gave me.”

After being hospitalized for three weeks and receiving specialized care, Miles bounced back.

“I call him my ‘poster child’,” Dr. Wright says. “I can’t believe what a turnaround he has made.” Miles is now a frequent follow-up visitor at the Rheumatology Practice.

“He’s really doing well now,” says his mother, Lisa.

Miles is back to tending his cats Spanky and Whiskers, eating his favorite food, Chinese, and playing with his older brother Kyle. The 3rd grader at Fairview Elementary School loves basketball, and for good reason.

“I’m the tallest in the class,” Miles confidently points out.

He always wears a hat and sunscreen, but the future looks bright for the tall youngster who learned that sometimes when you hit bottom, you bounce back.

Story Sponsored by: Drs. Eileen & William Hennrikus and Family
Photo Sponsored by: Jeff & Melanie Mayer