There's been another setback for the 8-month-old Dyer, Ind., boy who needs to get to North Carolina for a surgery that could save his life.
Seth Petreikis was slated to fly down to Duke University Medical Center via a private medical flight on Monday, but problems with his body temperature kept him grounded, according to a Facebook page dedicated his saga.
"[Doctors] drew cultures but the results will take 2-3 days," the post read. "Becky [Petreikis, the boy's mother] said he's not showing the usual signs of infection so hopefully it is nothing."
Doctors in North Carolina said the minor infection shouldn't prevent the surgery or the travel to North Carolina, which is now slated for Tuesday morning.
Baby Seth was diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome shortly after he was born. The rare and fatal condition inhibits the body's immune system and only one doctor in the United States performs the thymus transplant that could save his life.
Once at Duke, the boy will undergo a week of blood work before doctors begin screening thymus donor tissue for the transplant. That screening process could take as little as 10 days or longer than a month.
The last several months have been a roller coaster for Seth Petreikis and his parents. The surgery he needs was initially denied by the family's insurance carrier because it was deemed "experimental."
A not-for-profit managed care organization later agreed to pick up the tab, but then bureaucracy got in the way of some paperwork, delaying the boy's care.
| Full Coverage: Seth Petreikis |
