Jared

From Jared's Mother and Grandmother...
Jared was born with severe spina bifida. The bubble on his back was located at his kidneys. The bubble itself was eleven centimeters around and stood at least 2½ inches off his back. His spinal cord was protected by only a thin vascular membrane near his kidneys. It was leaking spinal fluid and he had no feeling below his waist. He now has feeling down to his knees but because of him having no feeling in his lower body he would bite his toes to the bone. We are hoping he has finally finished biting his toes.

Jared

The doctors didn’t hold out much hope for him when he was born. They said they didn’t expect him to live for very many days. During those first two days he had two surgeries. The first one was to repair his back. The second was to place a shunt in the right side of his head to drain fluid from his brain. After eleven days in the hospital we were able to bring Jared home. When he was two months old, Jared had a setback. He was back in the hospital at Carolina’s Medical Center with his head swelling. The doctor’s found bacteria growing in his spinal fluid. They had to replace Jared’s shunt. The doctors let Jared go home after two weeks in the hospital. We had to take him back to CMC a few hours later with his head swelling again. This time the doctors found a blood clot in the new shunt.

So far this year, Jared has had two eye surgeries. He has really been doing super. Jared is a real miracle child and has a lot of people to help him. Without these people he would not be where he is now. He has a wonderful medical staff as we call them and everyone from a pediatrician to a neurosurgeon. He also has a home staff with everyone from a home health nurse to Early Head Start staff. Jared is not able to be in daycare, so his home staff comes to him. Without all these people Jared would not be where he is today.

Today, Jared is moving his legs, crawling, and pulling up and “standing” on his knees. Also, he is trying to talk. Jared is really smart in a lot of ways. In some ways he is behind but considering everything we think he is doing wonderfully and will continue to do well with everyone helping, working, and praying. We can’t wait to see what Jared does next. He is surprising us all the time.
Camile Varnadore, Jared’s mother, and grandmother, Penny Helms

From His Home Visitor….
As Jared’s Home Visitor for the past year and a half, I have seen Jared grow and accomplish more than I could have ever imagined. I remember back only a few short months ago, I felt that he was a challenge for me because of his disability, but now he has been a blessing to me in teaching me how to work with children with disabilities. During my first meeting with the Varnadores, I noticed that Jared had limited gross motor skills, language skills, and self-help skills. Now he has grown into this butterfly that can move around on the floor, eat by himself, and express his needs and wants though communication. He has started saying a few words and is trying to communicate with the people he comes in contact with. This child will continue to be a success story for the rest of his life. With all the resources he has coming to him, he will continue to do wonderful things. His Early Interventionist, Pam Gaither has been working along beside me and together we are striving to help Jared get where he needs to be. With all of these odds against him this child is indeed a miracle child.
Lisa B. Owens, Home Visitor Lancaster Early Head Start

From His Early Interventionist…
I’ve been working with Jared since February of 2001. At first, I thought it would be hard working with a child like Jared. The more I worked with him the more I keep wanting to work with him. He has really motivated me to continue to work with children with disabilities because of the progress I see him making. He’s a very smart boy and picks up on things very easily. His upper body is very strong, and his lower body is slowly increasing strength. I look forward to my visits with Jared every week. Every time I walk in his house, I always get a smile from him. Despite the fact that he has already been through a lot, he’s still holding on and acting as a normal child would act. In my eyes, he is a normal child, because of the love he gets from his family, friends, and the agencies that have helped him so much.
Pamela Gaither, Early Interventionist Chester/Lancaster Disability and Special Needs

From His Disability Coordinator…
I’ve visited Jared on numerous occasions and at each visit I went with the wonderment of “What surprise will I see from Jared today”. I am truly motivated by this child’s will to succeed. He has shown by his determination that “He will learn to do whatever he needs to do, and there’s nothing going to stop him.” When I first met Jared, he was not sitting alone, or feeding himself. He had many development delays. I am amazed at Jared’s progress. On my most recent visit, Jared was crawling everywhere, sorting shapes and pulling-up to standing position with assistance. Jared is a wonder child, and a miracle just as his mother said. I am proud of Jared’s progress and feel that it is an honor to know him and his family.
Veronica Reed, Disability Coordinator, Lancaster Early Head Start