Community aids Mt. Olive teen with neurological disease
MOUNT OLIVE – The community is rallying around a Mount Olive High School student, donating tens of thousands of dollars to help the boy who has been in a Philadelphia children's hospital for the past month.
Max Kimpland, a 15-year old who will be a high school junior this fall, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome when he was 3 years old, and in 2004 with Neurofibromatosis Type-1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow along the nervous system.
There have been numerous complications including gigantism, precocious puberty, optic tumors, multiple brain tumors, and scoliosis.
Since his diagnosis, Max has been through 10 surgeries and four different types of chemotherapy, which have taken place for over six of the last 11 years. His most recent chemotherapy ended in February in preparation for spinal fusion surgery to correct his scoliosis curve.
Max had the spinal surgery in late April and returned home, seemingly fine, one week later. But he was rushed to the hospital the following week with severe blood loss from esophagitis.
Max spent the next two weeks at Morristown Medical Center on a ventilator, receiving transfusions and other medicine. He was moved to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on May 23, where he's been ever since.
Despite extensive testing, doctors were unsure what was ailing Max for nearly a month. He had been treated for bacterial and yeast infections in his abdomen, but eventually found a mold infection which he may have gotten during an endoscopy following the scoliosis surgery.
The fungal infection could not be treated normally due to NF-1, so he is currently undergoing a treatment reserved for oncology patients, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
Max's father, Bob Kimpland, said his son is doing better this week than last, though he will remain in the hospital for several more months once treatment concludes, including for his 16th birthday.
"This is by far the longest he's had to be in the hospital. He's been in there before but never for longer than a week," Bob Kimpland said. "But he's fighting, trying really hard to do his physical therapy even though he's clearly in great pain."
As Max continues his fight, his family is battling the medical and travel expenses that they've incurred and Max's aunt has set up a website to help cover some of the costs, http://www.gofundme.com/w3usk5w4.
Since launching mid-June, the Go Fund Me page has raised more than $20,000.
"My sister-in-law started it because she kept getting requests on how to help... $20,000 was unimaginable when it started," Bob Kimpland said. "I was thinking a few people wanted to pass along $20, I never expected this. We're overwhelmed by the generosity."
The money helps the family with travel and hotel costs for the trips down to Philadelphia and while insurance has been good so far, the money may also be used for experimental treatments Max may soon need that are not covered.
Bob Kimpland said the stress does catch up to the family at times, but the support of the community helps make the drives down to Philadelphia a little easier.
"We really don't know how to thank everyone," he said. "There are people I don't even know that are donating to him. In general Max is a really happy kid, and the response is proof of that."
On July 11, Quest Karate is hosting a Kick-a-thon for Max at their 59 East Mill Road location in Long Valley.
Kids will be sponsored based on how many kicks they complete, with all money benefiting Max. The event will also feature demonstrations, sparring, and board breaking.
For more information on how to sponsor kicks, donate, or participate, call Cindy LaBar at 973-945-0101.
To learn more about Max's journey, go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maxkimpland, http://maxkimpland.blogspot.com/ and http://maxwell.kimpland.com/7101.html.
Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com