The story of Austin
My husband has been sick his whole life. In high school he would throw up almost every morning, and he never could get a good night’s sleep. He was in pain but he always bravely carried on. He is a particularly generous and giving man. We were high school sweethearts and we got married 6 years ago. Recently he became so ill that he couldn’t work very well anymore. His thinking was fuzzy, his stomach hated the idea of food, he coughed, and he just didn’t feel right. For months, doctor after doctor told us that clearly something was wrong but they had no idea what. Finally one doctor diagnosed him with HLA, human leukocyte antigen deficiency, through genetic testing. Thankfully this doctor is confident that he can treat Austin and improve his quality of life, but there is currently no cure for HLA. I am in the field of biomedical research, so I anxiously await for gene therapy and other tools to begin clinical trials while Austin continues to be brave and strong and giving through all of his treatments. Truly he is inspirational, and having him in my life is a gift.