Father calls for more blood tests after 16-year-old son died from leukemia trends now
The father of a 16-year-old boy who died less than 24-hours after being diagnosed with leukemia believes his son may have had a better chance of survival if a blood test was carried out days earlier when he complained about back pain.
Kenneth Limper told DailyMail.com that his son, Kyle Limper, an honors student and all-around athlete who was captain of his high school football team, a wrestler, and track star, never missed a day of school and was never sick.
He started to complain of back pain on April 2 and when home remedies didn't work Kenneth took him on April 8 to a medical facility near their Philadelphia home where a doctor gave him a muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory drug.
Kenneth alleges no blood tests or X-ray were taken.
Kyle Limper died on April 13 less than 24 hours after doctors at St. Christopher's Children's Hospital diagnosed him with leukemia
Kyle's parents, Kenneth and Jodi, were shocked to learn their son had been battling the cancer and had no idea that he was sick
He was selfless': Family devastated after 16-year-old Pennsylvania teen dies from leukemia within 24 hours of being diagnosed after suffering from back pain following a basketball game. Kyle's parents had no idea he was sick
He was taken to a hospital on the same day for a second opinion where two doctors diagnosed him with a lower lumbar strain, prescribed Tylenol and told him to put Lidocaine on his back and return if symptoms got worse.
Kenneth alleges that doctors again did not take blood tests or an X-ray.
Less than 72 hours later, Kyle was so weak he could barely stand or get out of bed so his family called 911.
The once fit student athlete was rushed to another hospital where a blood test and CT scan revealed he had leukemia.
His devastated father said Kyle's kidneys were shutting down and he had masses all over his lungs.
Kyle went into cardiac arrest and sadly, died on April 13. Four days after his birthday. On April 9th, Easter Sunday, he had just turned 16.
'My son didn't last 24 hours at the hospital,' Mr Limper told DailyMail.com.
'The grief is crushing. I can barely sleep and when I wake up it starts all over again.
'My son was a beautiful boy. He never got in trouble. He was going to Washington this summer to train with real CSI agents for two weeks. It was a dream for him.'
Kenneth said he remembers his son was alert at one point in the ICU. He was putting a cold rag on his head and telling him he loved him.
'The doctors were doing CPR and chest compressions on him and I was holding his leg and his mother was in the room and we were screaming, C'mon Kyle,' he recalled.
'We watched our son die in front of our eyes. It was brutal,' he said.
'How do you recover from something like this. It is crushing grief ... a sick feeling in your gut and chest.'
Kenneth described his son as a strong healthy kid who never had any illnesses. He and Jodi, Kyle's mom had no idea their son was sick. Other than the achy back pain he was experiencing, his father said, he had no fever, he had an appetite and seemed like his Kyle.
But, now looking back, he said he can't help thinking maybe if the hospital or the medical facility did more his son would be here today.
'When you have a 16-year-old complaining of back pain maybe they should have checked his kidneys,' he said.
'It was nothing close to a back injury. His kidney's were shutting down. Maybe if they did a blood test maybe they would have picked something up and he would still be with us but, now we will never be able to find out.'
The medical facility and first hospital did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment while a spokesperson for the second hospital told DailyMail.com they do not release patient information.
Kenneth said he and Kyle's mom
