Xavier has a condition called scoliosis, which requires surgery every six months to correct. His recovery is painful, long and boring. To encourage a change in mindset, Satan’s Little Helper stepped in with some ideas!
Scoliosis causes curvature of the spine. Left untreated, it can cause the ribcage to be pushed against the heart and lungs, causing breathing issues and making it difficult for the heart to pump blood. It can also lead to lung infections and heart failure.
So, every six months, eight-year-old Xavier has an operation to lengthen a rod inserted into his spine to help straighten it out.
“Xavier was diagnosed when he was two and was placed in a hip-to-chest cast to try and straighten his spine out as much as possible,” explains his dad, Anthony.
“Every six months he’d have his cast replaced, until doctors decided the only thing that would work was to insert a growing rod.”
Xavier has now had his growing rod in place for three years and has since been under the knife five times.
“It’s a painful process and, each time he has it done, he’ll have to miss school for a couple of weeks, as he can barely walk while he recovers. He’ll always spend a couple of days in hospital immediately after surgery, then he’ll come home – but myself and his mum Jackie will need to help him walk and get up off the couch or out of bed.”
Anthony says that when Xavier is 18, he’ll have the rod removed and his spine fused at the top and bottom.
“He’ll never be a contortionist but he should be fine as an adult,” he jokes.
Boredom buster
For now, Xavier is in an uncomfortable loop – and, after recovering, he knows he’ll have to do it all again in a matter of months. It’s not only the discomfort that he hates, it’s the boredom of the recovery process.
Unfortunately, Satan’s Little Helper can’t do anything about the pain – but we can make his time in recovery a little more exciting!
So, we purchased him two brand-new games for his Nintendo Switch!
“He was very, very happy when the games arrived,” says Anthony. “The good thing about getting a new game is that he can play it in hospital – fighting boredom and providing a distraction is our main priority at the moment.
“When he’s not focused on his pain, it makes a huge difference to his mental state; plus, it makes the time go quicker.
“One of the nice things is one of the games is two-player, so I can play it with him, which is a great chance for us to connect. It’s great for my sanity too, because when you’re sitting in Starship, the hours can drag by!”
Anthony says that any recognition of what Xavier and the family are going through means a lot.
“We are very appreciative of the gift. It’s so hard to see your kid in constant pain, so for us to have a win was amazing.”
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