UPDATE: JJ took a trip back to Children's this month to see Neuro & Plastics due to some concerning symptoms he’s been having & the shape of his head.
The surgeon who performed JJ’s surgery (who has since retired) has a LESS THAN 1% repeat rate … unfortunately JJ has fallen into that percentage. His CT scan looked just as it did before his surgery last year.
Unfortunately this means the surgery must be re-done. This time, however, it will be more extensive, has more risks with his skull (due to the bone already being operated on & scar tissue) and has a higher risk factor of danger with the dura layer of his brain. It will also be a longer hospital stay.
As terrifying as this sounds, and it very much is, unfortunately we do not have another option. His brain is trying to grow & has run out of space causing headaches & increased cranial pressure.
Surgery was scheduled for March but this past week JJ has been showing worsening symptoms and they have bumped his surgery up to a couple weeks from now.
This news has flipped their world upside down as they thought JJ was through this.
If you can, please consider giving to ease some of the heavy financial burden that this comes with. A lengthy surgery, long hospital stay, James being out of work to be with their son, the hospital being 2 hours from home, and having JJ’s 2 siblings at home….it all adds up so fast.
If supporting them financially isn’t possible, I know Lydia and James would more than appreciate your prayers as they walk through this.
_______________________________
Meet JJ! He is almost 7 months old and in just a few short weeks, he will be undergoing neurosurgery. When he and twin sister were born 7 weeks early, the neonatologist discovered that JJ’s skull had fused too early, giving his brain no where to grow, a condition called sagittal craniosynostosis.
Originally scheduled for mid-August, his surgery is being bumped up as JJ has started having complications from pressure being put on his brain.
This will be a major surgery, involving their neurosurgeon and plastic surgeon, to open and reshape his skull to allow space for his brain to continue to grow. This will come with quite a recovery process and they will likely be inpatient at Children’s for at least a week.
I’m starting this GoFundMe for my good friends Lydia and James as they go through this with JJ. It’s terrifying as parents to have to watch your sweet baby go through such a major procedure. My hope is to lighten their load by taking some financial stress off so they can focus on JJ and their family. Hospital stays get expensive fast with meals, childcare for JJ’s sisters at home, hotel, gas for the trip up to Children’s and back home. James is also self-employed so he’ll be missing out on work as he helps care for his son.
Lydia and James are some of the kindest people I know, willing to help and support others whenever they can. So please help us bless their family as they go through this storm! Every single dollar helps provide meals, gas, and bills that will inevitably pile up.
No donation is too small. And if financial support isn’t possible, please join us in praying for JJ, his surgeons, nurses and care team, and that all goes smoothly during surgery and recovery.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lydia Griswold
Beneficiary

