Jayden's Journey to Recovery: Jayden's Medical Expenses

On July 11th, we took Jayden, our 13 y/o son, into Dedicated Orthopedic Urgent Care, for what we thought was possible knee injuries. The nurse tried to take him to the back by wheelchair (without footrests) but was unsuccessful. He could not move his legs in the form to assist nor was he able to hold his legs up. He finally had to struggle to get out of the chair and walk to the room, thankfully not too far. During this, the doctor just happened to be standing in the hall as we were coming back, he stopped what he was doing and just watched as Jayden struggled to get out of the wheelchair. We got into the room, got triaged, and they took him to get x-rays of his knees. Within a few minutes, the doctor came in and said, "his knees are fine. There is no issue there. However, I did watch you struggle to get out of the chair, and I have a strong idea it's something else. Mom, I would like to x-ray his hips". Of course I said, "do whatever you have to". They took him, again, and before he was back in his room, the doctor called me over and said, "well, I was right. He has a rare disease where his cartilage did not form at the top of the femurs going into the hip socket causing them to shift downward causing them to fracture/brake. We are sending him immediately to Texas Children's Hospital. Now, we will send everything with you on disc so they can jump on it asap". Jayden was scared, but we reassured him that if something is wrong, this is the best place he can go. He was sent to a Pediatric Surgeon who specializes in this.

(Mind you, this is Thursday, and Houston was just hit by Hurricane Beryl Monday, so things were a bit hectic.)

Of course, when we arrived, the disc they sent was blank, because only God. They needed more x-rays. I said, DO IT!! Thank God, because they were able to see past the fractures, and one femur was broken. And this child was still mobile. Limited and in pain, but still mobile. They went in and put screws in the bones to repair the breaks/fractures. This has alleviated most of the pain, but he still has limited mobility.

When we went for his follow-up in September, we were told that the surgery was a success, however, he now has to have 2 more major surgeries to regain full mobility. They originally had the next surgery scheduled for October 1st. However, due to circumstances, it had to be rescheduled. On March 18, they are going to cut him from mid-hip to mid-thigh, cut and reposition his bones. He will spend the week in the hospital, followed by 3-4 months of recovery. Then on June 24th, they will repeat the process on the left side.

At his follow-up, they informed us that his insurance expired 2 weeks after surgery on July 31. With all that, the costs have already been adding up. We were told our "cash price" was $37.5K each, $75K total. This morning, 12/18/24, at 7:00am, I received an email saying it was now $45K each, $90K total. I have reached back out to the hospital to try to get that reduced to the original quote. TX Children's doesn't take any coverage through ACA, and no insurance covers "pre-existing conditions".

I am setting this up because so many have told me to swallow my pride and do this for a while now. Please know that we are not sitting by idle. On top of working full time, we work on the side. We completed one bake sale on 11/2, which was a huge blessing.

Those who know Jayden, know he is an active kid that loves to help and serve others. He is not a "video-game kid". He loves to play ball, ride bikes, climb trees, etc. He is a hard worker. At almost 3 y/o he helped his daddy in a tire warehouse sorting, stacking and organizing. He likes to work on lawnmowers and small engine mechanics. He has served in multiple ministries at our church like children's ministry (JAM & Kid's), kitchen ministry, 1335, he loves to serve the older ladies in our Better Together Ladies Group, and so much more. Unfortunately, he has had to step away from most of this due to his physical limitations and the discomfort that comes with it. These limitation have really taken a toll on him mentally.

If you know even a little bit of his testimony, you know he is a fighter. I have always said, "whatever God has for him is big, because the enemy has tried to take him out since before he was born". We know that all of this is just adding to his testimony for later, and our Faith is in God. We have seen God in this from the beginning, and can’t wait to see what He has waiting for Jayden when this is finished. In it all, He will be Glorified! We appreciate all the love and support. Most of all, we appreciate all the prayers! Thank You and God Bless You!