BiographyGeorge was born at 42 weeks following induction at our local hospital after a pretty straightforward pregnancy. The birth was long, but there were no complications. When he was first born, Doctors noted that he had bilateral talipes and he was unable to breastfeed.
Within a couple of weeks of his birth, George was losing weight and had developed severe reflux; he was put onto medication to try and help with this.
From birth, George struggled to meet his expected developmental milestones and at his 18 month review, he was referred to the paediatrician and put under assessment for Autism, ADHD and Developmental Delay. As part of this process, George underwent blood tests which confirmed his Genetic Disorder of Chromosome 3p26.3 deletion. He was also diagnosed with an unsafe swallow and placed under eating & drinking specialists.
Since he's been 2.5 years old, George has had regular Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. He wears bilateral AFO splints to support his feet and ankles.
He takes regular medication to regulate his bowels, he remains incontinent and has low iron and struggles to maintain his blood levels correctly. More recently, George has been diagnosed with sight impairment and is now required to wear strong prescription glasses 24/7.
George is at least 3.5 years developmentally behind his peers and has delays in all areas of his development.
Due to the rarity of his Genetic Condition, and the other complications George has we are unsure what the future holds for him. George is becoming more complex as he grows, and he is struggling with more co-morbidities with his conditions and has a lot of care needs too.
Despite all of this, George has come out fighting and is a happy and loving boy who enjoys his special interests and likes to be as active as possible! He starts every day with a smile and is always laughing.
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