On January 2, 2019, Christopher Charles Hardnick received his angel wings. He was at home and now he is at peace. “Nick,” as he was referred to by those who were closest to him, was a wonderful young man who was loved, cherished, and will always be missed.
In 1990 when Chris was just 18 months old, he was diagnosed with an immune deficiency known as X-Linked agammaglobulinemia. X-Linked agammaglobulinemia known as XLA is an inability to produce antibodies which protect the body from infections. It was at that time his parents learned he needed monthly intravenous medication to preserve his health. Over the years, Chris battled chronic sinusitis and bronchitis. Recently, Chris has shown signs that an opportunist virus is attacking his neurological system. XLA is a very rare and complex disease and when it is coupled with an idiopathic virus, the situation is a medical mystery. The XLA specialists are perplexed about the virus and the treatment needed to eradicate the virus from Chris’ body. Chris’ condition was first described in 1952 and as you can see, the medical community has made significant gains in the treatment of XLA individuals. However, more research is required to keep Chris and others like him living normal lives. The Hardnick family is asking you to partner with us in the fight to save “zebras” in the medical community.
We have developed a Non Profit organization called Patriots 4 Families because Nick was a huge New England Patriots fan and as a family of 4 (Nick, Jessica , Karen, and Chris) we know it takes all you got to get through a difficult time like this. As we entered the best hospitals in America NIH, Water Reed, John Hopkins, and Dewitt Army hospital, Nick believed in New England Patriots Coach Belichick’s everyday demand ‘Do your job, Be attentive, Pay attention to details, and Put the team first.’ The Patriots 4 Families team is committed to helping families preparing to go through, going through, or gone through situations similar to ours.