Damon Kimmel
Born July 2004
Canada
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Damon Kimmel Born July 2004 Canada |
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My Name is Jamiee Kimmel. It was January 4, 2004. Damon, my six month old son showed signs of the flu. He had a fever, couldn’t keep down food. But I knew something was different, his fever remained at 106 steadily despite attempts to soothe him and bring his fever down. He had a seizure which the doc said was a febrile seizure, just cause his fever was so high. He got worse that night and had another seizure. We went to the doctor twice and no one would tell me what was wrong with my baby. We went to the hospital where they performed blood/urine tests and x-rays. It showed infection but they didn’t know what type of infection so they sent him home. I couldn’t believe it. A fever of 106, 3 seizures, lethargic, stiff neck etc and they sent him home. Well the next morning He was taken to the hospital he was having his second tonic clonic or grand mal seizure since in one hour without a fever. The doc in emerge took one look at him and said “that boy has meningitis, I’m sure of it” he went into seizure and didn’t stop. They gave him meds to stop them but nothing was working. Finally they gave him something and he quit breathing. He had to be intubated and transported by ambulance to the children’s hospital where he was listed in critical condition. My husband Pat and I were told he wouldn’t survive. After lumbar puncture and ct scans, it was positive he had spinal meningitis and the organism that caused it was streptococcal pneumonia. They were going to do all they could but the disease was so far gone. We had Damon baptized to bring some light to our trauma. Father John had the Doctors wheel all Damon’s machines to the chapel where he performed the most beautiful baptism I’d ever seen and amazingly enough the next morning he woke up. Damon went through many hardships. While in the hospital he had to have a blood transfusion, 3 MRI’s, and he developed yeast in his blood from an infected IV line. He pulled through though and got stronger everyday. They told us an MRI discovered a part of his left brain was damaged due to 3 strokes he had in the height of his illness and he would more than likely not be able to use the right side of his body. That he would be deaf, never run, ride a bike etc. Well Damon is a fighter, he is now 18 months old, he uses his right arm normally and is in therapy once a week with the brain injured team at the children’s hospital. He is finally walking although his leg drags a bit behind and is turned outward. The therapists are putting braces on his little legs to correct it. His hearing and brain function is 100%. He beat the odds. He is my Earth Bound Angel.
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