2023 October Update: Hi everyone! John had another sclerotherapy treatment on Thursday, October 12th. The procedure went well and we were anticipating he would be heading home yesterday to Kim & Connor. Unfortunately he developed pneumonia and so the stay for him (and family) is longer than expected. We greatly appreciate all your support and if you wish to aid in covering John’s medical expenses here is the link to GiveSendGo site for ease of donation.
https://givesendgo.com/JohnOCallaghan). Most importantly we ask for your continued support, encouragement, and prayers.
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2023 June Update: Hi everyone. We are here in New York with John. He was admitted Tuesday to Mt. Sinai Hospital. He is doing the first sclerotherapy treatments following his surgery last fall.
Sclerotherapy treatment involves the injection of a special chemical into the venous malformation to ultimately shrink it and relieve the symptoms it is causing. Several agents have been used to treat venous malformation. The commonly used agents in the US are ethanol, bleomycin and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS).
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Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.
To all those who know John, he is an incredibly kind and giving person. He is always there to help you with any electronics issues, lend a listening ear, or cheer up a room. John is a loving and supportive husband to his wife Kim, as well as his 13 year old son, Connor. While working full time, receiving dialysis and medical care, he continues to keep a positive outlook while devoting time to his community, friends and family.
John was born with a venous malformation (a vascular malformation resulting in the abnormal development of veins). The implications of this condition can vary; unfortunately for John his tongue, airway, cheek, neck, and kidneys have been severely affected. Due to the complexity of his condition, he cannot be treated by providers in the area. He is fortunate to have found and been able to schedule with a team of exceptional practitioners at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to perform necessary surgery involving a tracheostomy and partial removal of his tongue. With the procedure, he will need to remain in the hospital for several days. John and his family members will need to be in New York anywhere from 10-14 days depending on his recovery following surgery. And after he heals from this surgery, there are subsequent sclerotherapy treatments (the injection of a special chemical into the venous malformation) that he will need to undergo in New York to ensure the venous malformations don’t reoccur to the same severity.
We are incredibly grateful that John is able to receive care at Mount Sinai, however the financial stress of his hospital stay with procedures and travel are quite large. As the medical team is in New York, John will need to travel back to NYC for post-operative. Furthermore, he will require continued medical care following the procedure and have subsequent expenses. Anything that can be given to support and aid in covering John’s medical expenses is greatly appreciated (here is the link to GiveSendGo site for ease of donation.
https://givesendgo.com/JohnOCallaghan). Most importantly we ask for your continued support, encouragement, and prayers.
We are praying for a smooth and speedy recovery for John. We are grateful for the wisdom of the team of providers caring for John, the love, prayer and support of his extended family, friends and his very caring and supportive employer. We thank you for your support, encouragement and prayers for John’s surgery, recovering and healing.
Love, his siblings — Peggy, MaryLyn, Tim, Annie & Patrick
