Hello! Our sweet friends, Megan and Kenny, prayed for and welcomed Hudson James into the world on 02/26/2021. Hudson made his debut early, born at 35 weeks. He spent 13 days in the NICU. Hudson made steady strides and showed his doctors that he was ready to head home to be snuggled by his parents and meet his fur brother, Charlie. His sweet smile has stolen the hearts of all who have seen him and had the chance to spend time with him.

At 4 months old, Hudson was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a neuromuscular disorder in which there are 0 copies of the SMN1 gene in your DNA. Without this gene, SMN protein is not made, and motor neurons which are responsible for muscle movement, are not properly fueled, so get weaker and weaker and then die. Megan and Kenny (and their families) have worked tirelessly to advocate for Hudson and help him get the care he needs. After many phone calls with insurance, Hudson was finally approved for the costly gene therapy, known as Zolgensma, that provides him the best opportunity to conquer SMA. However, life took a detour from the infusion as Hudson was unresponsive and has been in the ICU at Dell Children’s since 07/21/2021. Hudson has had respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. He currently is intubated and fighting pneumonia. These past few weeks have been filled with heart wrenching conversations in which doctors initially did not for see Hudson recovering, to family and nurses closely watching/noting every movement he makes with his fingers, toes, and eyes. Hudson has always been and continues to be a strong, determined little one! His team of physicians have hopes of receiving the gene therapy treatment once the pneumonia clears. Megan and Kenny have been able to remain by his side.

Hudson has a long road ahead of him to be released from the hospital, receive Zolgensma, and build upon his motor skills. He has brought joy, laughter, and a lot of love to the world. Please continue to carry Hudson, Megan and Kenny in your hearts and prayers. We appreciate anything you can give to help alleviate the financial stress that this sweet family feels.