Teagen’s SDR Journey

Teagen is my 6 year old son with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy (Our Christmas Eve present). He suffered his brain injury shortly after birth making a life full of obstacles and challenges but Teagen faces them all with a smile on his face, bravery, and determination. He is the definition of a true Warrior.

Teagen is wheelchair bound and needs support with all his basic, daily living tasks that we all take for granted. He requires around the clock one-to-one support and care to get through each day.

He has the most severe level of cerebral palsy (level 5) causing very high spasticity, tight and painful muscles, requiring multiple medications, a serious risk of developing complications which will require surgery (possible hip and leg operations), limited motor function and difficulty with swallowing and speech.

On 8/30/2021, Teagen will undergo Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery performed by Dr. Richard Anderson at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. SDR is a surgical procedure performed on the lower spine which will help reduce the spasticity in Teagen’s legs giving him more independence and improve his quality of life. Hopefully, making it easier for him to move his legs, easier for us to care for him, lower the risk of future surgery, and possible improvements in other aspects such as fine motor skills, swallowing and speech.

After the surgery Teagen will remain in the hospital for a week and then be transferred to inpatient intensive rehabilitation at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ for at least 4-6 weeks where the real work begins. The Intensive Therapy is designed to improve strength, balance and posture, and to work toward regaining mobility and age-appropriate independence with self-care skills and activities of daily living.

This surgery will be life changing for Teagen. He will benefit from this surgery for life.

Please help support Warrior Teagen on his journey of a more independent and comfortable quality of life. Donations will be used to help cover the cost of surgeries, therapies, durable medical equipment and all other out of pocket medical expenses.

Thank you all for your love and support!

Follow Teagen’s journey @ Teagen’s Time