Andy Butler

Such a handsome baby boy, whose life was taken way too soon... Andrew Glenn Butler was born on January 8, 2009. We immediately nicknamed him “Andy.” A beautiful baby with bright blue eyes and thick brown hair, he was healthy at birth. In fact, when I was pregnant with Andy, I requested every pre-natal test available to ensure his health. But, my OB didn’t offer the test for spinal muscular atrophy…and, having never heard of the disease, I didn’t know to ask for it. So it was a terrible shock when our newborn son was diagnosed with Type 1 SMA or Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease in March 2009.

As the disease progressed, it very quickly robbed Andy of his ability to move, suck, swallow and breathe. He was hospitalized five times within a span of 13 weeks for respiratory and gastro-intestinal issues. And, it was in the hospital on June 4, 2009, that Andy lost his battle with this insidious disease. He earned his angel’s wings just four days before his five-month birthday.

We created “Andy’s Army” to share information about SMA and how people can help stop it. Although there is currently no treatment or cure for this disease, researchers have isolated the gene that causes it and, with proper funding, a cure can be found. While nothing can bring Andy back, no other families should have to suffer as we have. You can learn more about Andy and our fight against SMA at http://andysarmy.com/.
--Audra Butler, Andy’s mom