She’s an 8-Year-Old Superhero

Northbrook girl spends four months in hospital fighting rare immune disorder.

All Lacey Horwitch wants for her birthday is to go home. The 8-year-old from Northbrook, who turns 9 on Jan. 19, has spent the last several months in a hospital bed, undergoing rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and ultimately, a bone marrow transplant.  “She is a little fighter, she does not cry, she does not complain,” says Amy Cassman, a close relative. “This kid is amazing.” Lacey has been hospitalized at Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago since August, when she was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistocytis (HLH). The rare disease causes her immune system to attack her own organs and the cells that produce blood in her bone marrow.  On Dec. 29, Lacey received a bone marrow transplant from her father, David. It …

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Glenview Girl

Local Mom Donates Cells to Save Son From Cancer

A Glenview family fights through illness and comes out strong on the other side.

“When it comes to your child, you’ll do anything.”  Those are the words of Jennifer Devine, who several years ago went through a scary and devastating experience and handled it with courage and incredible strength, not to mention a tremendous amount of dignity. In other words, she didn’t fall apart. Devastating News Almost three years ago, Jennifer and her husband Greg, who have four children, found out their 5 ½ year-old son Matthew (Matty) was diagnosed with a blood disorder combined with a chromosome abnormality. Doctors told them if left untreated, Matty’s condition would undoubtedly lead to the most aggressive form of leukemia, and that the only chance for a cure was a bone marrow transplant. “Our world collapsed,” said 42 year-old …

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