Toddler dies of ills that halted transplants

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Toddler dies of ills that halted transplants

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Patriot-News - burg,PA

BY BARBARA MILLER

Of Our Palmyra Bureau

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1172638

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Chandler Regan Spitler was a sweet, happy 2-year-old who had

enormous odds stacked against him.

Chandler, son of Darrell and Spitler of East Hanover Twp.,

Lebanon County, died Friday in Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical

Center because of a respiratory illness. It developed while he was

awaiting a liver and small bowel transplant needed because of

complications from cystic fibrosis.

The community rallied in support of the Spitlers, holding fund-

raisers to help pay for expenses anticipated with a transplant. A

breakfast for Chandler last month at the Ono Fire Company raised

$13,695.

" The community has been wonderful. It's hard for me to fathom that

people would care about my baby and love us like they have, "

Spitler said. " Even in his time of death we felt an enormous amount

of support, and that really helps because my arms are empty and I

have to deal with that. "

" I think because he was so sweet and so happy, people were really

affected by him, " she said. " He loved the affection, he loved the

attention. "

Chandler became ill Jan. 30 with a cold that turned out to be

respiratory aspergillus, a reaction to a common mold that doesn't

harm healthy people. " It was the worst thing I could think of

happening, " Spitler said.

" His immune system was just too weak, " she said, and he was on a

ventilator 15 days. He was also having problems keeping his platelet

levels up, and kidney failure.

Even worse, with the mold disorder, he could no longer be a

candidate for transplant, said. Transplant patients have to go

on immunosuppressive drugs, which would allow the mold to " go crazy "

in his body.

Spitler said they decided to remove him from the ventilator.

" It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life, " she said. Doctors

assured them that there was nothing left to do to help Chandler, she

said.