David Frey Joins Forces with The Peace Fund to Help Eli Olsen

Published on August 12th, 2013

Eli Olsen
Eli Olsen

"Eli Olsen is a 9 year old boy who needs an islet cell transplant and total pancreatectomy. He has been dealing with a chronic condition called “hereditary pancreatitis” as well as cystic fibrosis and celiac disease. He deals mostly with the pancreatitis. His first episode was at the age of 3. This degenerative disease causes a catastrophic amount of pain in the upper abdomen and damage to his pancreas. While being treated in the hospital for it Eli is given narcotic pain medication, primarily morphine. Eli cannot eat or drink anything, for days until the pain has subsided and they can start introducing a liquid diet, gradually working his way back up to a regular gluten free diet. In the early days of this disease Eli would be in and out of the hospital in 3 to 5 days a couple of times a year.

Now, Eli can no longer eat or drink. He receives nutrition through a pic line in his arm. He is hospitalized regularly and for longer periods of time, weeks at a time for chronic pain. He is heavily medicated with narcotics to subdue the pain, pain that never goes away, even with the morphine.

And still......he smiles, he is grateful, he is hopeful. Eli is richly blessed with four siblings and a mother and father who adore him. When Eli is pain free he is a very active little boy who loves to climb trees, jump on the trampoline, construct transformers and play constantly with his little sister Sophie. Our family hopes to raise the money we need to provide this much needed transplant so that Eli might live a happy, active, pain free life."