Local News
After surviving transplant, family faces fresh challenge 
04:00 PM CDT on Friday, July 10, 2009
>MCKINNEY — Carter Cates isn't shy around cameras.
"He thinks it's showtime if there's three or more people," said his mother, Chelle Cates.
Carter will be two years old next week, but his family is having a birthday party for him Saturday at 4 p.m. inside Old Settlers Aquatic Center in McKinney. Carter's dad, Sean Cates, said family, friends, doctors and nurses are all on the guest list.
They have a lot to celebrate. Carter has survived the last 12 months after a rare five-organ transplant.
Carter was born 10 weeks early and doctors diagnosed him with a disease called Necrotizing Enterocolitis, which meant his intestines were decaying. Other organs soon failed, and he couldn't digest food.
Last year, doctors transplanted five new organs into Carter: small intestines, liver, stomach, pancreas and spleen.
A year later he's gradually growing, and now weighs in at 22 lbs. Doctors have given him a positive prognosis, his mother said. She and her husband are teaching their only son sign language until he starts talking.
But as Carter's health improved, his family’s finances haven't. Sean, 36, who supervised financial brokers, was laid off in January.
"We've already liquidated all of our accounts for Carter's benefit," he said. "There is no retirement. No pension. No 401(k). All of those have been liquidated."
The family's $200,000 in retirement savings went to pay medical bills. Sean Cates' unemployment benefits run out in eight weeks.
"Carter never goes without," Chelle said. "We never ever let him go without. We always make sure his medical bills are paid."
Sean said he has sent out hundreds of resumes and is now considering leaving their modest McKinney home for a job out of state if one becomes available.
"I have a renewed optimism that has come from my son," Sean said. "If he's going to get through this, I'm going to get through this. We're going to get through this."
They've already seen prayers answered.
E-mail jwhitely@wfaa.com
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