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A protein called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, was spiking at ten times its normal level.
一種叫做血管內皮生長因子的蛋白質的峰值是正常水平的10倍。
David had learned in medical school that VEGF controls blood vessel growth,
大衛在醫學院學過血管內皮生長因子控制血管生長，
and he hypothesized that the blood moles that had shown up with every Castleman relapse were a direct result of that protein spike, which signals the immune system to take action.
他假設每次卡斯特曼疾病復發時出現的血痣都是蛋白質激增的直接結果，這是免疫系統采取行動的信號。
He also knew that there was an immunosuppressant called sirolimus that was approved by the FDA to help fight the immune system when it activated against kidney transplants.
他還知道有一種名為西羅莫司的免疫抑制劑，已獲美國食品藥品管理局批準，可以幫助對抗因腎臟移植而激活的免疫系統。
After consulting with a National Institutes of Health expert, David asked his doctor to prescribe the drug.
在咨詢了美國國立衛生研究院的專家后，大衛要求他的醫生開這種藥。
He picked it up in February 2014 at a pharmacy less than a mile from his home.
2014年2月，他在離家不到一英里的一家藥店買到了這款藥。
“A drug that could potentially save my life was hiding in plain sight,” he says. So far, it’s working.
他說：“一種有可能拯救我生命的藥物就藏在眼前。”到目前為止，它還有效。
David has been in remission from Castleman for more than six years.
大衛的卡斯特曼病情已經緩解了六年多的時間。
He’s not the muscular football player he once was, but he’s close to full strength.
他不再是以前那種肌肉發達的足球運動員了，但已經接近全力了。
He is now an assistant medical professor at the University of Pennsylvania,
他現在是賓夕法尼亞大學的助理醫學教授，
running a research lab and enrolling patients in a clinical trial for the drug that has given him his life back.
他開辦了一個研究實驗室，讓病人參與藥物的臨床試驗，正是這種藥物讓他找回了生活。
In 2018, he and Caitlin became parents when their daughter, Amelia, was born.
2018年，他和凱特琳的女兒阿米莉亞出生，他們成為了父母。
“She’s such a little miracle,” Caitlin says.
“她真是個小奇跡，”凱特琳說。
“We’re so lucky to have her.” David hopes his story offers lessons far beyond medicine about what people can do when they’re backed against a wall.
“我們很幸運能擁有她。大衛希望他的故事能給人們提供遠遠超出醫學范疇的教訓，告訴他們在絕境中可以做些什么。
And he feels his suffering means something when he looks in the eyes of his patients with Castleman disease.
當他看著他的卡斯特曼病患者的眼睛時，他覺得自己的痛苦意味著什么。
One girl, named Katie, was diagnosed at age two and endured 14 hospitalizations.
其中一個名叫凱蒂的女孩在兩歲時被確診，并住院14次。
Then her doctor prescribed David’s drug after the family reached out to the CDCN.
在家人聯系卡斯托曼病協作網絡之后，她的醫生給大衛開了藥。
Katie hasn’t been hospitalized since and just finished kindergarten.
凱蒂從那以后就沒有住過院，現在剛從幼兒園畢業。
She has even learned how to ride a bike.
她甚至學會了騎自行車。
