“Jacob is a medical miracle,” his grandmother shares. “His original prognosis was that he wouldn’t walk, wouldn’t talk, and would have a brain deficit. That’s not the case today. He’s exceptionally bright and can do anything he puts his mind to.”
Jacob was born with omphalocele (a birth defect of the abdominal wall) and an extremely high metabolism. He was diagnosed with failure to thrive. Then Jacob got his feeding tube. He’s been thriving ever since.
“I never let the G-tube hold me back,” Jacob notes. “I do what any average person does.” But that’s not exactly true – Jacob does a lot more than most people. He swims, plays soccer and baseball, fences, and rides horses. He’s in school plays, the marching band, and the choir. He loves to travel and has been to 22 states so far. Jacob certainly doesn’t let his feeding tube hold him back. Instead, he uses it as a tool to live life to the fullest.
Jacob’s feeding tube has helped keep him strong, healthy, and thriving. But it can also come with challenges. For the past year, Jacob has been having issues with his feeding tube leaking. He recently reached out to the Aveanna Healthcare Medical Solutions team for assistance. He wanted to be able to go to homecoming without having to worry about his feeding tube.
Jacob and his grandmother worked with Aveanna’s telephonic nurses to troubleshoot and come up with a dressing solution that would give him extra coverage the night of homecoming. “The nurses want to do whatever they can to help,” Jacob’s grandmother says. “These ladies are exceptional. They helped us brainstorm and made us feel so supported. The solution we came up with together worked great, with no leaking all night.”
Jacob uses his feeding tube as a tool to help him reach his goals and live the life he wants. There can be challenges, but when issues arise Jacob knows he can count on his family and care team to help him through. No matter what happens, there’s no holding him back.