We are very grateful to all those who have made it possible for our 9 year old son, Maximus, to be able to continue taking the treatment, DHA-EE. We first took Maximus to see Dra. Manuela Martinez in Spain when he was 15 months old. He was not doing well, and was not expected to live very long. Maximus was not eating or sleeping well, he was blind and his liver was well on the way to liver failure. Now, at 9 years old, Maximus can see very well without glasses, his liver enzymes are back to normal, he can walk and sleeps much better as well. Maximus is a very happy and energetic little boy whose quality of life was much improved by this treatment. We are so blessed to have experienced a doctor with so much dedication to her patients and research as Dra. Manuela Martinez. We are touched by your generosity in keeping the DHA-EE financially available so that the children can continue this lifesaving treatment.

With Warmest Regards,

Tara Cornell, Mother of Maximus Manciu

&

The Family of Maximus Manciu

I was with Tara when Max was first on life support before he was a year old.  It was so heart wrenching, such a helpless feeling, because it took quite awhile before they diagnosed him.  Although he’s severely disabled (the impression those who see him for the first time might have), he’s happy, playful, loving, and has a very distinct and sweet personality.  He has totally blessed our lives. With Dra. Martinez’ loving care and the DHA-EE he has had a quality of life that would not have been possible.

I had the pleasure and honor of meeting with Dra. Martinez whenever I accompanied Max and his parents on some of the trips to Spain.  I remember one occasion when Dra. Martinez took movies of Max and used them to show her peers his progress.  When he started walking, she confided in us that she didn’t think he would ever walk.

Walk!  He runs!  He doesn’t play like other children, but he has his own type of play.  He loves to play with light switches and pound on the walls.  He loves to swing and walk outside on the uneven ground, with us hanging onto him so he doesn’t fall.  He loves to ride in the wagon we bought for him with high sides to keep him safe, and I put a cushion in it for him to sit on, and he loves the wind when I run with him when he’s in his special stroller (quite the sight, I must say!)

A few times, I’ve set him on my lap and we went sledding down a small hill.  He has a game where he sits on my husband’s lap, gets down and starts to leave, and my husband grabs him by the straps on his bib overalls and pulls him back on his lap (Max giggles hysterically after a few times).  He loves to grab things on the table and toss them, so we have to keep things out of reach, or we put things that are soft that he can toss and make a game out of it.  We put gates around the television and other things that could be harmful to him or that he could damage.

We truly loved Dra. Martinez.  She was personable, approachable, and always caring and patient with the children she cared for.  I remember one special time when I had the opportunity to tell her how much she meant to us and our children, how much we appreciated all that she did for them.  It wasn’t too long after that when we learned she had passed away.  I am so thankful that I had that opportunity.  She is truly missed.

Jan Irwin, Max’s paternal Grandma