The Journey

Dillon required multiple life-saving surgeries requiring him to be on the operating table for more than ten hours at a time; his initial treatment required three major surgeries in the space of a month, with minimal recovery time in-between. Unfortunately, on his third surgery, he was left with a high-transect Stoma after most of his bowel tract was necrotic and removed. He was placed into a medically induced coma and transferred to the intensive care unit, then spent 81 days in and out consciousness in the High Dependence ward. Long-term intensive care is debilitating on its own, but with three surgeries and extended recovery, there are severe complications that occurred, which impacted his recovery; he faced the struggles of blood clots, infections - particularly pneumonia - and other lung infections. Heart problems, being nauseous & unable to eat, and being feed through a central line in his neck, vivid nightmares, and hallucinations from fevers and medications, just to name a few. Secondarily - and unknown at the time - Dillon also tackled another unexpected result of being on the operating table for so long; he lost the ability to walk after suffering nerve damage and a condition called Neuro-Palsy with stroke like symptoms. He had lost the ability to weight bear (stand independently) and walk without assistance; this required him to wear a full leg brace and walker to move around on his own. Dillon’s independence was everything to him, and he refused to accept what the doctors had stated… “You will never walk again unaided”. Every chance Dillon had, he worked on his mobility, walking the halls of the ward with his brother, sister, and myself.