Just a quick note this page is best viewed on a desktop with the photos
December 3, 2012 - Beautiful Perfect Reed Crosby Havlik came into this world at 7:57 pm, weighing 8 lbs 12.7 oz
December 3, 2013 - Reed turns 1
November 1, 2014 - we notice the first signs of what would later be Vanishing White Matter Disease, Reed's right foot starting to route inward and roll when he would take a step, struggles to walk. Doctors think they see a chip in his knee and Ortho decided to put a cast on him for two weeks, he would never walk "normally" again. Two weeks later the cast comes off with no improvements, and more blood work and hip x-rays are done with no answers. We get a referral to see Neurology in Iowa City appt isn't for another 3 months.
December 3, 2014 - Reed turns 2
February 23, 2015 - We meet Dr. Pealman for the first time after the initial evaluation he wants to admit Reed for an MRI the next day.
February 24, 2015 - We give our baby over to MRI techs and wait for hours and hours and hours to hear the results. A parade of doctors, students, and nurses sit in front of us to give us our son's death sentence. Reed has Leukodystrophy. There would be no cure, no treatment, and he would be wheelchair-bound, we should think seriously about having any more children, and we should plan to make the most of the time we have to love on our boy. We would be sent home that night not having a game plan for what to do next
Over the next several months we would have more blood work done for genetic testing to determine the type of Leukodystrophy Reed has, Vanishing White Matter Disease.
May 2015 - Community members hold a golf tournament/benefit/5K to help us with medical expenses
The Rest of 2015 is spent finding a new routine for Reed he starts physical, occupational, and speech therapy once a week, and he also goes to the chiropractor once a week. He also starts AEA services at home monthly. We figure out the disease is not going to progress as quickly as some Leukodystrophy do. We start to connect with other families around the world that are affected by VWM
December 3, 2015 - Reed turns 3
February 2016 - Reed gets the flu bad and we spend 6 days in the hospital, this is a very scary time for us as this is our first experience of how Reed's body is going to act when he gets ill, (very lethargic)
February 2016 - We learn about the Saving Chloe Saxby campaign that will be launching in Australia to support research that is being done in Israel, a spark is lit that there could be some hope for a treatment that our boy could be saved Team Reed is launched to start fundraising to find a cure for Vanishing White Matte Disease
August 2016 - Reed is selected to be an Iowa Hawkeye Kid Captain for the Bowl Game
September 2016 - Reed gets his first wheelchair
December 3, 2016 - Reed turns 4
December 2016 - We travel to Florida for Iowa's Bowl Game and to spend a few days at Disneyworld
January 2017 - We find out that Reed's Make-A-Wish is granted
November 2017 - We travel to California Disneyland for Reed's Make A Wish
December 3, 2017 - Reed turns 5
October 2018 - Reed received an exclusive one-of-a-kind tour of John Deere and is showered with gifts
October 2018 - We head back to Florida for a family trip to Disney World
December 3, 2018 - Reed turns 6
May 2019 - Erika leaves her corporate job as it is now time that Reed needs her full-time care
June 2019 - Reed gets his second wheelchair
July 2019 - We attend the John Deere Classic Golf Tournament with some very special tickets Reed received
December 3, 2019 - Reed turns 7
March 2020 - We go on lockdown due to Covid
August 2020 - Reed goes on a postcard road trip and receives postcards and packages from all 50 states and several counties
December 3, 2020 - Reed turns 8
July 2021 - Reed lands himself in the hospital for a few days for IV fluids for a virus he catches
September 2021 - Erika self-publishes a kid’s book called The Adventures of RC
October 2021 - Reed donates a skin sample to VWM Research in Utah
October 2021 - Jesse works with a local Brewery to brew and launch the Team Reed Double IPA beer as a fundraiser beer for Team Reed
November 2021 - Reed has surgery to place a feeding tube
December 3, 2021 - Reed turns 9
January 2022 - Reed starts the 10-week process of casting his ankles to get them back to a neutral position, the goal is so he can be less tight and wear AFO braces, which work beautifully
May 2022 - Reed gets Covid and spends 5 days in the hospital, no raspatory issues and his body fights it off it takes a few months for him to get back to his baseline
December 3, 2022 - Reed turns 10
