Lochlan was a Christmas Day gift to his parents Gemma and Clint, and sisters Isabel and Aubrey – he’s been keeping them on their toes ever since. Lochlan was diagnosed with reflux at two weeks and he had a weak suck.
Then, just before he was three months old, Lochlan suffered his first seizure in his mother’s arms. At first, Gemma didn’t recognize what was happening – she thought her little boy was choking. He experienced another, more aggressive seizure two weeks later, and was diagnosed with epilepsy. By four months old Lochlan started to lose weight, and concerns of not eating productively came into play.
A devastating seizure left Lochlan struggling with recovery, and also refusing food by mouth. Gemma and Clint were told to rush Lochlan into hospital by his neurology team, where he was admitted for 15 days. He was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive, and was equipped with a feeding tube.
At that point it became clear there was more going on. Experts at the Alberta Children’s Hospital are now probing Lochlan’s genetics for clues. Lochlan isn’t hitting his milestones at the rate of other children his age, so language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are working to help with speech and mobility issues. Because of his neurological condition, little Lochlan is a frequent flier on Unit 3, his “second home,” says mom. As part of the Pediatric Home Care initiative, nurses and a respiratory therapist also visit Lochlan at home.
Lochlan celebrated his second birthday this past Christmas. The hospital visits are often, and Gemma is grateful to have so many experts working to provide care and answers for her Christmas boy. It’s not just the attention paid to Lochlan, it’s the acknowledgment of his siblings, too.