dog

Final Draft: 4/4/03

Bernese Mountain Dogs and Children –

Afflicted with the same disease . . .

And, now united by a medical research project looking for a cure.

Barrett Rollins - MD/PhD, Jill Rudkowski - MD,

Robin & Gene Hamme

This is a story about hope. It involves April, a young girl, and a Bernese Mountain Dog named Missy who have at least two things in common.

They also need your help. This is an appeal for BMDs and their owners worldwide to become part of this promising research.

Here is Missy’s story: Just before her fourth birthday in 1997, we felt multiple, somewhat dissimilar lumps and bumps under Missy’s skin. They were located between her shoulder blades and along the same area of her spine. Knowing that Berners are prone to growths, most of which turn out to be benign, we decided to promptly consult our vet, just to be on the safe side. While he was not particularly concerned, we all agreed that multiple biopsies would be the best course of action. The tissue was sent off and a week later we got the report. After we heard the words “systemic histiocytosis” we were heart broken. To us, Missy had been handed a death sentence, although the timeframe was very uncertain. The vet said he wasn’t sure if she had days, months or perhaps a year or more. He just didn’t know. Hoping that the lab report was in error, we sent the tissue samples to GDC at the University of California/Davis for verification. Yes, in fact, Missy had systemic histiocytosis.

And now a little bit about April: Just after April turned one in 1992, her parents noted that she had developed a terrible scalp and diaper rash, a swollen bump on the right side of her groin, and difficulty breathing. After many tests and visits to many doctors, she was diagnosed with severe histiocytosis affecting her skin, lymph nodes, and lungs. Her parents were in shock. April required two different rounds of chemotherapy over the next two years as well as high-dose steroid treatment. Despite all the hospital tests, visits, and the side effects from treatments, April grew and developed as a normal toddler. It was a trying time for everyone in the family as they struggled to remain hopeful and to help April through these difficult times. They had never imagined that anything like this could happen to them.

What do April and Missy have in common? They share a disease called “Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis” (LCH). And, they are both still thriving!

April’s enduring spirit prevailed and she has been in remission since December 1994. Her five brothers and sisters and parents stood by her side and hold every day as precious – LCH can come back even after 10 years or more. Her mother is active in helping the families of children recently diagnosed with histiocytosis obtain the information they need to understand this rare disease. April is now 11 and is counting on your help so that more may be learned about LCH.

On Halloween, 2002, Missy celebrated her ninth birthday and is going strong. Like April’s family, her humans are committed to supporting research that will address this dreaded disease. And, knowing the love Berners have for children they feel this project is all the more compelling.

What is histiocytosis in general and LCH specifically? The histiocytoses are a group of disorders in which certain types of white blood cells migrate to areas where they normally do not reside. They then