About Us

Jack’s Story

theboy_about_Jack

Two weeks after his first birthday, our son, Jack, got sick. We took him into the hospital on a Saturday evening. The doctor examined him and determined he had an upper respiratory infection but that it wasn’t anything serious and sent us home. On Sunday his breathing worsened and Jack was admitted into the hospital early Monday morning . That afternoon Jack stopped breathing and went into respiratory and cardiac arrest. It took 10 minutes to resuscitate him. After resuscitation, he was put on a ventilator in the ICU in an induced coma. Tests determined that he had RSV and a paraflu which is likely why his condition worsened so quickly. An MRI a few days later showed lesions- brain damage- to his basal ganglia. Upon waking up, we realized he was going to have to learn how to do everything again. Eating, drinking, talking, reaching, grasping, rolling over, playing, crawling, standing, walking. He was transferred to an intensive rehab facility a littler over two weeks later. This blog is his story of recovery. This blog is the story of our little lion heart.

Why Start The Boy Who Breathed Again?

theboy_about_Mama I started this blog as a message of hope for other parents who may be going through something similar. We’re from Canada, living in Germany. After Jack got sick I began writing updates I would send to our family over WhatsApp. I quickly realized after receiving a ton of messages from friends and extended family back home (and from friends around the world) that others would probably like to be able to also receive the updates about Jack’s recovery. So I began posting them to a Google Doc. Two months later, I’ve realized that we can go one step further. These updates may help others. When you google non-traumatic brain injury in children and infants (which I highly recommend you do not!) you won’t find much. There are a lot of articles and resources for adults but very few about children and babies. And even fewer which offer a voice of hope. We are only two months into our journey and I already feel like Jack’s story is a remarkable one. A story worth sharing.

 

“Wait for a time, exactly under a star. Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair, and who refuses to answer questions, you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back.”

              – The Little Prince

Matt and I are already so grateful (words really cannot describe) for the support we’ve already seen through the Go Fund Me page friends set up on our behalf. It’s not easy to accept that we’re in a position to ask for this help. We truly are floored by the support we’ve received through this entire journey. And this financial assistance allows us to worry less about what our transition home might look like and know that for now we can continue to be by Jack’s side through his recovery. Thank you, thank you. Much love. 🦁♥️