Luke Busey

Dear Friends:

Luke Busey As you may know, our 20-month-old son, Luke, was recently diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease (KD)—an illness that involves an inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body. Predominantly affecting young children less than 5 years old, KD occurs suddenly with the onset of fever; its origin is unknown.

We hope you will join us in supporting the Kawasaki Disease Research being conducted at Cedars-Sinai under the direction of Dr. Moshe Arditi, Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology and Director of the Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center. His work is critical: 25 percent of patients with KD will develop inflammation of the coronary arteries, leading to the development of coronary artery aneurysms, making KD the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children. Kawasaki Disease is diagnosed in approximately 4,000–5,000 children in the U.S. each year. Yet there is cause for optimism: Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) within the first 10 days of the illness significantly prevents coronary artery involvement.

Luke Busey With your support, the researchers and clinical experts at Cedars-Sinai will continue their pursuit of better diagnosis, treatments, and therapies that have the potential to transform the lives of so many children who suffer from this disease. Your donation is greatly appreciated—and any gift is a meaningful one. Together, we will bring new hope to children in our community and around the world!

To make an online gift, please go to http://giving.cedars-sinai.edu/page.aspx?pid=2280

Checks should be made payable to: Cedars-Sinai
Please be sure to note on check "In honor of Luke Busey"
Mail to:
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
8700 Beverly Blvd, Room 2416
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Attn: Development Services

Thank you so much for opening your heart to stand up to this dreadful disease.

With Love,

Gary Busey, Steffanie Sampson and Luke Busey