Posted: Aug 24, 2014 6:25 AM Updated: Aug 24, 2014 7:19 AM By Kelly Davis – email
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A 9-year-old Bardstown boy suffers from pancreatitis. But despite his pain, he always finds a way to wear a smile. Shade Fikter has been in and out of the hospital 11 times in the past two years.
“We thought ok it’s just one time he’s over it let’s go home and everything will be fine. But then it happened again a month later and then it happened again a month after that,” said Pam Fikter, Shade’s mother.
What they thought was just a stomach ache turned into something much worse.
Pam said, “We never thought we’d be here, I don’t think any parent ever thinks this is something that they’ll ever have to face.”
“As a father, as a man, our drive is to fix things if there’s something wrong my job is to take care of it, to make it not wrong anymore but this is something that’s out of my control,” said Shade’s father, Dan Fikter.
Shade has pancreatitis. The 9-year-old needs a pancreatic transplant but it comes with a hefty price tag of $300,000.
“With this surgery they would remove the pancreas so he wouldn’t have the pain of pancreatitis anymore but there would still be hope that he would not be a severe diabetic,” said Pam.
It’s not a miracle surgery but it gives the family hope. Despite his struggles, Shade manages to keep a smile on his face through it all.
Pam said, “No matter how bad things get, even when he’s in the hospital, once he’s feeling a little better and he’s not in so much pain he’s back to making jokes.”
Easing other people’s pain, one joke at time.
“He makes us laugh every single day, every day, no matter what, he always makes us laugh,” said Pam.
The Fikter family is raising money for Shade’s surgery.
You can follow Shade’s journey on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/LotsOfLoveforShade
If you would like to donate, follow this link:
http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforShadeF/