"There is no other facility like it.” – Jodi, Jack’s mom, about Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Jack runs. He jumps on furniture. He swims and plays games. He even climbs rock walls! Smiling and mischievous, this rambunctious nine-year-old is hard to keep up with.
For his mom Jodi, this activity is nothing short of a miracle.
When Jack was seven he underwent risky surgery to treat a severe seizure disorder. It was his third operation. The surgeons needed to remove his left frontal lobe. The family was warned that while the surgery was the last option available to treat this severe form of epilepsy, it may affect his mobility.
The surgery was a success. It stopped Jack’s seizures, but Jack initially couldn’t walk, talk or move his right hand.
By the time he was moved to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Jack was drained emotionally and physically. He had always had a great personality. It helped him through the countless medical interventions he needed in his young life. But after his final surgery, that positive, sunny side of him was gone. Due to the trauma of his surgeries, he refused to talk. His personality was flat. But even on that first day at Holland Bloorview, Jodi noticed that Jack began to relax.
“The hospital created a calm place for him to recover emotionally,” she recalls.
One of his first activities at Holland Bloorview was a visit to the Snoezelen room, a space that uses music, lighting, gentle vibrations, tactile sensations and aromatherapy to help either relax or engage. While there, Jack looked at himself in the mirror. It was the first time he saw his scar.
“Sitting in that calm room, he was very accepting of [the scar],” says Jodi. “It was a big healing moment for him. Soon after he started his rehabilitation program.”
The program included three daily therapy sessions. Speech language therapists found creative ways to help Jack speak again. Physiotherapists worked with him on his first steps and re-learning to walk. It wasn’t easy, but the staff understood Jack’s will and abilities. Through therapy he also re-developed fine motor skills such as printing. Throughout his rehabilitation, Jack attended school in the hospital.
Jack took another big leap forward when he was assigned the task of looking after a dog during the pet therapy program. He loved the responsibility. It helped build his confidence.
After six weeks, Jack was not just walking but running and high fiving the nurses. Jodi was astonished by the speed of his recovery, and grateful that Holland Bloorview supported her family during a time that is often isolating and stressful.
Now, Jodi is cautiously optimistic that the days of frequent hospital stays are behind them. Jack hugged her on his ninth birthday. It was the best gift ever. After his surgery, she didn’t know if that would ever happen again.
Jack is home now, attending school and having fun with his younger brother, Christopher. Jodi may get a little tired of them jumping on the furniture, but she never takes it for granted.
Special Holiday Announcement!
Donate today in support of Holland Bloorview, and George Lewis, a wonderful volunteer and Chair of Holland Bloorview’s No Limits campaign, and his family will match it! This is a limited holiday offer to help donors make their contributions work twice as hard for kids like Jack.
