Jack's Journey of Hope
After receiving care at The Elliot and working closely with the Child Life Team, Jack is hoping to raise money for the program.
Jack's Story
Jack turned 8 in January of 2023 and was thriving, but by spring, we had started to notice small changes in Jack's behavior and his eating habits - all things we were able to chalk up to anything but the reality we were about to face. By May/June, we had some pretty big concerns and started consulting with his pediatrician. When a cleanse didn't yield the results we were hoping for, we moved on to an elimination diet, but that proved unsuccessful. When Jack stopped eating his favorite foods, and uttered the words, "I only want water," we saw major red flags. His medical team jumped at our concern and ran test after test. His calprotectin levels were off the charts and we were referred to GI. While we waited for our appointment at a different practice, that was scheduled for weeks later, it was determined that Jack needed fluids and we landed at Elliot Hospital. From there, the ED department consulted Elliot Pediatric GI, who determined, based on Jack's calprotectin levels, that Jack needed immediate care and he was admitted.
Moving upstairs took some time, but we were invited to have some snacks, and informed that there is middle of the night pizza in the cafe. Jack was eager to try the pizza and we quickly learned that Jack does not like middle of the night cafe pizza. In fact, he still talks about the pizza... We spent some time with the wonderful doctors, nurses, and child life specialists on the pediatric floor, being treated like royalty. The care we received was incredible!
On July 19th, Jack was scheduled for a colonoscopy and endoscopy, and we received the news of his diagnosis. Jack has Crohn's Disease. We were overwhelmed with information and grief but we were carried by our amazing family, friends, and medical team. Upon discharge, Jack shared that he was "a little sad to leave." Can you imagine being treated so well at the hospital that you were actually sad to leave? To be honest, we were all eager to be together at home, but I also felt a little sad to leave. But fear not, some complications landed us back in the hospital a very short time later, where we ultimately decided that Jack needed a medication that would work faster. These decisions felt so heavy, and as if there were no easy answer, but once again, the team at Elliot held us, and cheered us on. The decision was made to start Jack on infusions. The changes we saw were pretty immediate, and reports to the nurses' station were met with cheers. They celebrated our victories with us, and we are forever thankful for them! The next morning, Jack devoured a full pancake breakfast AND ASKED FOR SECONDS. He had not eaten more than a few bites at a time for weeks. This felt like a miracle, and once again we were met with cheers from the nurses' station. Despite being met with the royal treatment yet again, we were ready to go home for good.
For his one year anniversary, Jack has a big goal of donating $500 to the Child Life team. They have been such an integral part of his care and he'd like to see to it that other kids have the same experience. Jack is doing well and we recently found out that his medication is now at therapeutic levels! Since his diagnosis, he has turned 9, emceed his school's talent show, and joined the Destination Imagination team. He spends his days playing basketball, riding his bike with friends, hiking, and doing things most 9-year olds love to do. We're so thankful to every moving piece of his care team for getting him to where he is!