Idaho teen suffers from CRMO disease that attacks bones

A 13-year-old has been isolated at home for weeks after being diagnosed with a life-long disease that causes his immune system to attack healthy bones.

Bryce Fisher crushed one of his vertebra while jumping on the trampoline in November 2015, alerting his parents that there was something seriously wrong with his health.

After more than a year of torturous testing, on January 19 Bryce was diagnosed with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), a life-long bone condition that affects only one in six million males. 

According to Bryce’s mother, his disease has forced him into a painfully ‘lonely’ existence home in Fruitland, Idaho, because his immune system is compromised, spine is deteriorating and the pain is barely manageable – but he is battling through with a brave face.

Bryce Fisher, 13, was diagnosed with a disease called CRMO on January 19 after more than a year of invasive testing. CRMO affects one in one million people, affecting girls at a rate of five to one compared with boys, making Bryce’s odds for having it one in six million

His parents Carolyn Anderson, left, and Jason Fisher, right, were alerted that there was a problem when Bryce crushed one of his vertebra on the trampoline in 2015

After the trampoline accident, Bryce underwent more than a year of blood work, PET scans, MRIs and biopsies to rule out cancers and other potential causes.

‘This is like the worst form of torture a parent can go through,’ Carolyn Anderson, mother of Bryce and his three brothers, wrote on Facebook in December. 

He was finally formally diagnosed with CRMO on January 19 of this year at Seattle Children’s Hospital. 

The life-long disease affects one in one million people, affecting girls at a rate of five to one compared with boys, making Bryce’s odds for having it one in six million.

CRMO causes inflammation, bone deformity, broken bones and intense pain that can flare up anywhere in the body.

It can also come with several other health concerns including Crohn’s disease, asthma, arthritis and eczema.

Bryce has already lost the vertebra that was damaged on the trampoline, and now has two more that are starting to collapse.

Between November 2015 and January of this year Bryce underwent numerous blood tests, MRIs, PET scans and biopsies. He is pictured right on the day that he received the formal CRMO diagnosis at Seattle Children’s Hospital

His mother said he has recently slowed down considerably and walks with a limp, but in the future he may need reconstructive surgery on his spine or may end up in a wheelchair.

Even though Bryce is now no longer attending school, teachers have worked hard to keep him up to speed in his education by providing him tools and books to learn from home.

Managing pain has been a struggle for the teen because there are limits on what he can take because of how all of his medications interact. Anderson said his current dosage only helps to a certain extent.

He is being treated by Dr Yongdong Zhao, a pediatric rheumatology and CRMO specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The treatment involves monthly infusions of strong medications that come with their own side effects. He will also need MRIs every three to six months to track his flare-ups.

The now-13-year-old announced Wednesday that he’ll be launching a video blog to share his experience with the rare condition

Bryce’s condition has been difficult on the family financially, which includes father Jason Fisher, two brothers and one half-brother.

To help manage treatment and travel costs while they wait for insurance to approve his treatments, they’ve set up a fundraising page through YouCaring that has raised more than $1,300 as of Wednesday afternoon.

His parents have encouraged friends and family to write letters to Bryce to keep him company while he is stuck at home.  

‘Bryce is so excited that there are so many kids that will be writing him,’ Anderson wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. ‘He can’t wait to start getting them, emailing, etc. so he can write back. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.’ 

‘I can not [sic] express the gratitude and love that I’m feeling right now. I’m humbled and grateful for all of the love and support that we have received,’ she wrote. 

On Wednesday, the 13-year-old launched a video blog to chronicle his experience with the rare disorder. 

Bryce has received lots of support from the community in the last year. ‘I can not [sic] express the gratitude and love that I’m feeling right now,’ his mom wrote on Facebook on Tuesday