Today is the day

Shawn is loaded and ready to move into the dorm.

Today is the day that Shawn starts the Summer Bridge program. 

Early this morning as I lay awake in bed with a million things running through my mind, I reflected on the progress Shawn has made in the 14 years since he became my son. 

When he was 6 years old he could not yet use silverware, he ate everything with his hands. At 7 years old he had his first Grand Mal seizure and forgot how to identify colors and letters.

At 12 years old he had cascading seizures and had to be airlifted to Barrow Neurological hospital because nothing was working to get the seizures to stop. Shawn nearly did not survive the seizures. His doctor told us the he was surprised that Shawn remembered how to talk after the seizures. Shawn did have a lot of regression but he was still himself. While he was in the hospital recovering he had surgery to have a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted and set up. The VNS helped reduce Shawn's seizure activity. 
At 17 years old Shawn had his first normal EEG. A few months later at a follow up appointment we found out that his VNS was no longer working. Now Shawn is approaching his 4th year of being Seizure Free.
This morning Shawn came to tell me his alarm went off and that he needed to get ready to move to the dorm.
While he was getting ready this morning he mentioned the dorm in almost every sentence he said.
Now he is moved in and we are at orientation learning what his schedule and what his life on campus will be like. We never thought we would be sitting here!

Thank you all for your generosity and support of Shawn in his path to independence. 

~Katheryn

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