Jayden's Story

Images Captured by Caity McCulloch Photography

Here is Tiny Light Jayden.  He is the best snuggler ever! Jayden loves playing and listening to music, swinging on his swing-set, building with his blocks and going swimming.  His mom admires his happy, loving personality and is unsure how he manages to keep a smile on his face considering the challenges he has to overcome daily.  Jayden is her inspiration.

Jayden was born on March 31, 2010; his parents already aware that he had Down Syndrome after an ultrasound showed indications of soft markers.  A visit to a specialist and further testing confirmed the diagnosis, so mom did what she could to be prepared and began researching everything possible on the disorder.  When Jayden made his arrival, the family received some great news discovering that he did not have the common heart issues associated with Down Syndrome.

However, four days later, when Jayden still had not had a bowel movement, things took a turn for the worse.  The family was sent to Victoria General Hospital where they remained for three weeks as Jayden had further been diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease.  In Hirschsprung’s Disease, the nerves from part of the bowel are missing which means material cannot be pushed through, resulting in blockage.   In August of 2010, Jayden had surgery removing one a half feet of his colon and since then, has been thriving and doing well but still continues to experience discomfort when he needs to have a bowl movement.

While the hardest thing about their journey has been watching Jayden go through so much pain, the most amazing part is how much his parents have learned about themselves.  They now view children with special needs in an entirely different light and feel their child is no different than any other child.  Jayden has taught them a great deal about life; about being patient and ensuring that you do not lose yourself as a parent a long the way.  When mom is having a rough day, she looks at Jayden’s beautiful blue eyes and big smile, and cannot help but to smile herself.

For the future, his family hope Jayden will find independence, potentially find employment and continue to be as accepted and loved as he is now.

Story by Kristi Hall-Busque