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We were blessed with healthy children as each was born.  Our family doctor often commented on how healthy they were.

However, things did change as the family grew older, either from illness or accidents.  Around the age of 14 or 15, our second oldest daughter came down with Epilepsy, which she has been able to manage very well.

On December 5, 2000 Rose had a mild stroke, and has recovered completely.

On June, 17, 2001 Rodney had a serious bicycle accident.  He suffered a concussion, broken collar bone, several broken ribs, and a fractured spine in the area where it connects to his head.   He was off work for 8 months.

On April 7, 2002 Herb and Rose's  grandson Ashton, fell and struck his head on a concrete floor.  He suffered a serious concussion, and had to be rushed to the hospital.  It appears that he will come out of it OK also, time will tell.

One of the biggest crisises of the family unfurled on December 6, 2001, when their youngest son Brian had to go to the hospital, diagnosed with Acute Myelogenus Leukemia, at 34 years of age.  Please see the photo below, showing Kevin and Brian hugging each other, shortly after Kevin donated his bone marrow to Brian to save his life.  It was a very touching moment.

Prior to this Brian was a strong, husky young man, with a deep love for the family -- one that you would never, ever suspect to come down with any illness, let alone Leukemia.  He was very active -- always doing something for himself or his friends.  It must have been a big adjustment for him to realize that he had to take it easy for a whole year.

Thinking back, we wondered what caused him to get this dreaded disease.  Did he get it from his work place, or a possible association with someone who had it?  The doctor could only say that there is no specific cause.

Kevin was not the only one to do all that he could to save Brian's life by giving his bone marror -- there was another one, not a person but a cat, our family cat -- Maxi.  To see the photo of the great feline that unintentionally also saved Brian's life.  Click The Hinz/Pokolm Family History.to open the link.

Approximately , 2 weeks before we took Brian to see the doctor, he wasn't feeling very peppy or good.  He was relaxing in the house, and decided to brush some of Maxi's hair off.  Brian was in his shorts, and his legs were bare.  While Brian was brushing off Maxi's hair, Maxi was getting more and more irritated, and he scratched Brian's legs several times and drew blood.  After this happened, and the days passed, Brian felt weaker, his legs were painful, and at times it was hard for him to walk.

Finally, because of his sore legs, and it was thought at the time that he could possibly have blood clots, Herb took him to the doctor in the forenoon of December 6, 2001, and had a blood and urine test at a medical lab.  At 5 PM, Herb and Rose got a phone call from his doctor, who told them to take him in to the Richmond General Hospital emergency department, immediately.  The doctor in the hospital told them that Brian's blood was abnormal and his immune system was depleted.

Because of inter-hospital politics, the doctor asked Herb and Rose to drive Brian to the Vancouver General Hospital, rather than by the ambulance -- as they would get there much faster.  They were able to bypass the 3 to 4 hour long waiting list at the VGH, because the Richmond doctor phoned ahead and alerted a certain specialist, that Brian would be down there soon.  Brian only had to wait about 30 minutes, before the specialist came and took him away in a wheelchair.

Because his immune system had completely collapsed, they immediately put him in an Isolation Room and gave him antibiotics.

On Friday morning Brian was given a bone marrow biopsy (test) and the result showed that his bone marrow was actually depleted, and that he had Acute Myelogenus Leukemia.  His white blood cells were also depleted, and he could not fight any germs or infections, such as the cat scratch on his legs.  He had a serious infection in both legs.

After they got Brian's immune system under control with antibiotics, they started to treat the Leukemia with Cheemotherapy on December 10, 2001.

Later on we learned that many Leukemia patients, did not see a doctor when they had more minor signs of an illness, nor did they suspect or realize that they may have Leukemia, and as a result, some succumbed to the illness, because they sought treatment much too late.

It was fortunate for Brian, that our cat Maxi, scratched Brian's legs and caused the infection, serious enough for Herb to take him to the family doctor.  Had the cat not scratched and caused an infection, Brian may have sought treatment much too late, and may not have survived.

As a result, they consider Maxi, as Brian's saviour.  He is treated as a member of their family -- no more and no less.  Once in a while, he somehow gets a special treat, even though he doesn't understand.

From the beginning of Brian's problems, and to the present, Herb, Rose and family cannot thank the entire medical profession enough, for the excellent and very professional way that they brought Brian through this terrible ordeal.  Every doctor and nurse -- starting with the family doctor to the specialists, worked as a smooth running machine.  The nurses were so professional. For continuing information on Brian's condition, see the page -- Events 2000 to 2002.