Jackson and the Crusade
Being able to swallow food and water is something most of us take for granted. But for Jackson Sloan, swallowing is a skill that he’s learning to master thanks in part to the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Jackson’s mom, Dawn said, “He presented at seven months with seizure activity. Prior to that he just seemed like he was a little delayed.”
It took some time to get the correct diagnosis for Jackson.
Dawn continued, “We got into some testing, went through an MRI. It had shown that there was no white matter on his brain. At eighteen months he had had a right hemispherectomy where they disconnected the right hemisphere of his brain.”
The surgery and seizures left Jackson with several challenges. He doesn’t walk without help. And until he masters swallowing properly he deals with a feeding tube. Jackson is getting help at the Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital which you support through the WHAS Crusade for Children.
According to Randy Napier, President of Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital, “A lot of things you see in our facility were either funded entirely or partially by the Crusade. We just could not function without the support of the Crusade.”
That support is making noticeable improvements in Jackson’s life.
Dawn Sloan said, “Leaps and bounds. He is becoming vocal. His eating habits have definitely improved.”
Therapist Emily Lueken says that Jackson also uses an iPad and a relaxing area called a Snoozelen Room, both of which were provided with funding by the WHAS Crusade for Children.
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