Friends of the O'Garas
Donation protected
Local friends are organizing services that will help the O'Gara family as they spend time with Emmett in the hospital, go back and forth to Children's and oversee his care and recovery at home. We have heard from other families that having help with things like meals, cleaning and laundry has been invaluable during extended medical events, and this fund will help us set up these type of services for them. It is meant to make it easy for friends who want to help Emmett and his family -- Susie, Dan, Hannah and Finn -- and to make it easy for the O'Gara family to focus on Emmett's recovery and supporting each other.
From Susie and Dan: "Anyone who knows Emmett knows that he is one of a kind. His uniqueness carries over to his anatomy as well. Emmett has an abnormally configured cervicocranial junction—for all of us nonmedical folks, this is the area where the skull meets the spine and includes the spinal cord and brainstem. His skull has shifted over time, resulting in an abnormal s-curve to his spinal cord. The good news is that Emmett is not experiencing any symptoms because of this abnormality.
On January 13th Emmett will be admitted to Children’s Hospital Boston to begin the first stage of correction. He will undergo anesthesia and application of a halo vest. He will stay in traction in the halo vest for approximately 4 weeks, with the hopes of reducing the amount of displacement before fusion surgery.
On February 12th he will undergo spinal fusion surgery. The goal of this operation is to permanently fuse the skull to the upper first and second cervical vertebra, thus preventing further displacement and reducing the potential for serious injury. This will involve Titanium rods, screws, and a bone graft. He’ll be bionic! After 5-7 days Emmett will come home still wearing the halo (but no traction) for possibly two more months.
At a minimum, Emmett will miss about 10 weeks of school. He may feel well enough to return to school 3-4 weeks after his second surgery, but we are going to be sensitive to his feelings regarding the halo. This is all new to us so we plan on rolling with it as it develops. One thing we know for sure is that Emmett will rise to the occasion. He always does.
We are nervous about what lies ahead but grateful to live where we do with access to the best hospitals and doctors. Our many trips to Children’s have reminded us how lucky we are, and that things could be always be worse. We are blessed to have family and friends close by, willing to pitch in and help."
From Susie and Dan: "Anyone who knows Emmett knows that he is one of a kind. His uniqueness carries over to his anatomy as well. Emmett has an abnormally configured cervicocranial junction—for all of us nonmedical folks, this is the area where the skull meets the spine and includes the spinal cord and brainstem. His skull has shifted over time, resulting in an abnormal s-curve to his spinal cord. The good news is that Emmett is not experiencing any symptoms because of this abnormality.
On January 13th Emmett will be admitted to Children’s Hospital Boston to begin the first stage of correction. He will undergo anesthesia and application of a halo vest. He will stay in traction in the halo vest for approximately 4 weeks, with the hopes of reducing the amount of displacement before fusion surgery.
On February 12th he will undergo spinal fusion surgery. The goal of this operation is to permanently fuse the skull to the upper first and second cervical vertebra, thus preventing further displacement and reducing the potential for serious injury. This will involve Titanium rods, screws, and a bone graft. He’ll be bionic! After 5-7 days Emmett will come home still wearing the halo (but no traction) for possibly two more months.
At a minimum, Emmett will miss about 10 weeks of school. He may feel well enough to return to school 3-4 weeks after his second surgery, but we are going to be sensitive to his feelings regarding the halo. This is all new to us so we plan on rolling with it as it develops. One thing we know for sure is that Emmett will rise to the occasion. He always does.
We are nervous about what lies ahead but grateful to live where we do with access to the best hospitals and doctors. Our many trips to Children’s have reminded us how lucky we are, and that things could be always be worse. We are blessed to have family and friends close by, willing to pitch in and help."
Organizer
Susan Robinson
Organizer
Marshfield Hills, MA