StemCell Therapy

Rosalie Currier

Joel and Anna Troyer of Burr Oak are doing whatever it takes to help their 4-year-old son, Landry, live a normal life.

Landry has neuro immune dysfunction syndrome, an illness that causes autistic-like symptoms.

Because the treatment is expensive, for a second year, Tobey Schwartz is hosting Birdies for Landry, a golf scramble Aug. 19 at the St. Joe Valley Golf Club.

Schwartz a cousin of Joel, said, Joels like a brother to me. I would do anything for him and he would do anything for me.

Schwartz isnt the only one who wants to help. When Doug Smith of the Burr Oak High School class of 1987 heard about the golf scramble, he sprang into action.

Hole-in-one sponsorship

Smith works for the Henkle Auto Group in Battle Creek where the new car division of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram sponsors hole-in-one contests for local golfing fundraisers.

The dealership approved the Birdies for Landry golf scramble and are providing some big-ticket prizes.

At three holes, golfers will have the opportunities to win a prize specific for the hole:

Smith said he hopes to gather a group and join the golf scramble himself.

The golf scramble

The scramble is from 2-6 p.m. Aug. 19, includes a meal catered from Yoder's Country Market, Centreville and raffle prizes.

The cost is $200 per team with a $400 prize for the winning team and the hole-in-one package.

There is still room for businesses and individuals wishing to sponsor a hole at $100 each or to donate raffle items. All hole sponsorships and prize donations are tax deductible as it is sponsored through Freedom Center Ministries in Centreville.

Raising awareness

Not only does Schwartz want to support his brother/cousin financially, he respects that Joel is trying to raise awareness of NIDS to help others.

This Little League season, Joel helped Schwartz who was coaching a team with an autistic player. With Joel advise things were going as well as could be expected.

However, during championship playoffs, the Little League player was so overwhelmed by the crowd and the noise he went to his parents car for refuge.

Schwartz explained the situation to the other coaches who were extremely supportive. When the autistic athlete came up to bat, the opposing coaches quieted the crowd.

All the players and audience responded by going silent for his sake. The young player made a hit (his second for the season) which allowed for the winning run for Schwartzs team.

I was bawling, Schwartz said, being so overwhelmed by the support. Now Joel is in contact with the boys mother offering possible hope.

Therapy

Schwartz plans to make Birdies for Landry an annual golf scramble until Landry is out of speech therapy, off the medications and through several more umbilical cord blood stem cell therapies at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama, Joel said.

On July 22, the Troyer family returned from Panama City, Panama after Landry's first Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy at the Panama Stem Cell Institute.

We've seen some pretty significant improvements already and more are expected over the next 5-9 months as the cells multiply and grow in his body,Joel said.

However, the cells are fragile and will lose their effectiveness in 10 months to a year so the Troyers plan to return to Panama for more therapy.

Landry is also in speech and Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. The therapists have noted significant improvements since the stem cell therapy.

They see that Landry has an improved ability to follow direction, a willingness to try new foods, improved eye contact, appropriate laughter, more babbling, singing and attempts at language and words.

Landry also started swimming on his back and underwater while in Panama, Joel said. He started jumping in deep water on his own without someone to catch him.

Twice hes tried to swing a baseball bat when the ball was pitched to him, although he previously wouldn't hold a bat.

And hes been involved in interactive play with his sister Cora, and parallel play with other children, Joel said.

Landry is a patient of Dr. Michael Goldberg of Los Angeles and Dr. Ann Auburn in Grand Rapids for treatments to help with gut and immune health, Joel said.

Along with Landry, the Troyers have Cora Jo, 3, and Audra Rose, nine months old.

For more information contact, Tobey Schwartz at (260) 336-8713 or Joel Troyer at (269) 503-3959.

See the rest here:
Birdies for Landry fundraiser golf outing set - Sturgis Journal

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