GBS affects 1 in 100,000 adults and is even more rare in children under the age of 17. Complications include muscle weakness, paralysis, tingling of the hands and feet, breathing problems, and even death.
On January 6, 2011 (after being in the hospital for nearly a week), Jonathan was diagnosed with GBS.
He was hospitalized for nearly a month and faced a battery of tests before the official diagnosis came. Jonathan was paralyzed from the waist down and in severe pain.
After we had a diagnosis, we spent three weeks at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, treating his disease and getting him better. He had treatments of IVIG (Intravenous Immunoglobulin), intensive physical therapy and occupational therapy.
He was finally released on January 28, and was able to come home to finish his recovery! He was to have outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy and regular follow-up visits with his pediatrician.
Jonathan has come a very long way since December 27, when he first started getting sick. After 4 long months of tears, joy, leaps forward, frustrating setbacks, doctors, medications and trying to get back to a 'normal' life, Jonathan is doing very well!
Tomorrow, the Summer Knights Car Club of Berlin has generously offered to hold this year's two-day car show for Jonathan's benefit. Our family is humbly grateful!
Several friends have also offered their support with a bake sale to benefit Jonathan. The bake sale will be held at the car show and will include the following yummy things!
From the Checkered Gamma (my mom)'s kitchen - peanut butter cup cookies and chocolate chip walnut cookies
From Ross's kitchen - chocolate biscotti
From Alison and Brett's kitchen - coconut creme cupcakes, peanut butter chocolate cupcakes, chocolate strawberry cupcakes and vanilla brown sugar cupcakes
From Lisa's kitchen - peanut butter fudge with chocolate drizzle, toasted coconut pecan penuche and milk chocolate fudge
From Chrissy's kitchen - brownie cones
From the Checkered Kitchen (mine) - mixed berry bread, cinnamon bread, chocolate nut bread, banana bread and chocolate chip oatmeal bread, chocolate marshmallows and toasted coconut marshmallows, chocolate covered bacon and caramel popcorn
In order to help people further understand what Jonathan went through, I created a slideshow of Jonathan's journey from his hospital stay to now - 4 months later. Thank you for watching.
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