KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |East Texas Baby Diagnosed With SCIDs

East Texas Baby Diagnosed With SCIDs

An East Texas baby has been fighting for his life after being diagnosed with a rare disease.   It's called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency also known as SCIDs.   What should be a time of joy for one local family, bringing their son home from the hospital is becoming quite the challenge.  

"He is beautiful, he is my little miracle baby. There were times that the doctors' couldn't tell me if he was going to make it," says Rachel Moreno, mother of one year old Diego.

Diego, was diagnosed with SCIDs.  A disease that makes it difficult for his immune system to fight infection. For months the Moreno's thought they had a healthy baby.  

"They told me only one in a hundred thousand kids have that.  And I said why couldn't I have hit the lotto? Why did we have to have this?" asks Rachel.

Rachel works full time, in order to have health insurance. While, her husband stays at Children's Medical Center in Dallas with Diego. In July, Rachel donated her bone marrow to Diego and now he's getting stronger.  

"They told me two weeks ago his cells have grown from 5% to 32% and now at present 46%," says Rachel.

Some other good news, doctors told Rachel and her husband they need to start preparing for Diego to come home, which means making the house completely germ free.

"The carpet holds dust and they don't want any carpet or curtains or all of that stuff that hold dust, particles or infections," says Rachel.

"We had some people evaluate our house because it will have to meet home inspection. He has to have a special ventilation system like a clean air type filtration system," says Rachel.

But since Rachel and her family live in a mobile home, the ventilation system is not feasible.  

"We are working on trying to get a house built for him that will be environmentally safe for him and germ free. So we can have him home and once we get him home we can keep him home, which is going to be a big challenge," says Rachel.

Something Rachel says her faith will help them through.

Rachel says in addition to trying to build an environmentally safe home for Diego, they also have several million dollars in medical bills.  

If you would like to help the Moreno family, the Diego Tragedy Fund has been set up at Southside Bank locations in Tyler.

Karolyn Davis, reporting.  kdavis@kltv.com