Justin

Story by his mom

On Sunday, Sept. 5, 2005, Justin was playing in a pre-season football game when he suffered a potentially life-threatening injury while making a tackle.  As he brought down the running back, the runner’s heel came up and kicked him in the abdomen just as he was landing on top of it.  The heel caused blunt force trauma to his pancreas, cracking it and causing one-quarter of it to be nearly severed off completely.  His father took him to the local hospital while I rushed home from a weekend away, where I had just finished a half marathon.

And so began our odyssey.  After four days of being misdiagnosed at a local hospital, all the while suffering through ‘round the clock pain, we had Justin transferred to Children’s National Medical Center on the advice of a friend (a doctor, who we have proclaimed our guardian angel).  After 24 hours at Children’s National, he was properly diagnosed and immediately rushed into emergency surgery to remove the part of his pancreas that was dangling and oozing toxic enzymatic fluid into his abdomen.  Because the pancreas is responsible for secreting enzymes that allow the body to break down food, his was literally eating itself alive, and would have eventually started to do the same to his other organs had he not had the surgery.  After the surgery, he spent four days in the ICU, almost unrecognizable beneath the tubes, machines, and monitors, and a total of 24 days in the hospital.   

Due to the serious nature of his injury, and the fact that he suffered several setbacks and complications along the way, his recovery was slow and labored.  Even after he came home, it took weeks before he was able to do the simplest tasks, like climbing the stairs on his own.  It was an incredibly challenging time, largely because we were so clueless as to how difficult and intense his recovery process would be. 

Today, Justin is strong and healthy.  He has not only regained all of the 15 or so pounds he lost while in the hospital, but has added 35 pounds more and has returned to his hectic life.  Best of all, despite everything he has been through, he has retained his sunny, optimistic personality, and is enjoying the sports he loves, like wrestling and lacrosse.

I can’t say enough good things about the care and treatment at Children’s.  I worship Dr. Martin Eichelberger and am indebted to all of the nurses, social workers, concierge, environmental staff -- everyone!

The following is a list we created during Justin’s ordeal:

All We Need to Know We Learned at Children’s Hospital

1. The human body is an amazing creation. (But the pancreas is an angry organ!)

2. God’s handiwork can be found in the talents of top-notch surgeons, in the compassion of nurses, in the love of friends, and in the kindness of complete strangers.

3. There is no greater feeling than to be enveloped by the support, love, and prayers of family and friends.

4. A hug can soothe a broken heart.

5. There is power in prayer.

6. You can cry and still be strong.

7. Cell phones and email are the best inventions, bar none!

8. Every meal delivered to you by friends while you sit vigil in a hospital will make you feel like you’ve won the lottery. (And it will seem as if it’s the best meal you have ever tasted.)

9. Even in your darkest hours, there is room (and a need) for some laughter and levity.

10. If your child is passionate about something (for example, football), his drug-induced hallucinations and utterings will bring his passions to life.