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Adversity is something Elijah Hill has faced his entire life. The 15-year-old Knoxville South Doyle Middle School student was born with sickle cell anemia, an inherited disease that shortens the life span of red blood cells, resulting in
 chronic anemia, paleness, weakness, fatigue and severe pain. He also has a rare disease known as Moyamoya, which causes the narrowing of major blood vessels leading into the brain as well as the formation of abnormal blood vessels called moyamoya vessels. His illnesses have caused him a great deal of discomfort. But now with his parent's help, support from the staff at Children's Hospital, and blood products given by Medic donors, Elijah has been able to fight through many challenges. In the winter of 1996 when he was 8 years old, Elijah developed pneumonia and was admitted to Children’s Hospital.
He already had experienced several strokes as a result of his Moyamoya disease, and his sickle cell condition was continuing to weaken his body. At the time, Elijah was a foster child. A few months after recovering from his pneumonia, Elijah was introduced to foster parents Deb and Mike Hill. The Hills spent time with him, became his foster parents, and officially adopted Elijah on June 14, 2001.
Deb recalled that when she first met Elijah at the hospital, she was amazed at the "tender and loving atmosphere” the nursing staff had created around Elijah. They and the doctors were extremely protective of Elijah and were determined to give him the best care possible, she observed.
Moyamoya disease is incurable, although surgery can correct some of the damage to the blood flow in the brain. Elijah's family and the medical staff were able to convince one of the few Moyamoya experts in the United States to perform surgery on Elijah. He hasn’t had a stroke since and is now able to have his follow-up care at Children's Hospital.
His sickle cell treatment includes visits to Children’s' Hematology/Oncology Clinic once a month for blood transfusions.
Elijah likes the same things any 15-year-old boy does: music, computer games and hanging out with friends. He is full of enthusiasm and is a determined young man who has an unbridled love for life. |
