Today we woke up to snow. As I type this, I see small snowflakes slowly falling from the sky effortlessly. Maybe it is all the Hallmark movies I have been watching, but this kind of snowfall makes me feel peaceful and happy. Speaking of happy, this week’s warrior is a happy and an adorable little guy!

Meet Jose

Jose was born premature at 24 weeks and weighed only 1 pound and 13 oz. He spent the first part of his life in the NICU, totaling 101 days. He was using oxygen until he was 6 months old. As hospital and doctor visits became a frequent thing for Jose and his family, he was able to start physiotherapy and occupational therapy at 12 months of age. Even with these sessions, they did not see as much progress as they had hoped. Jose was then diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and uses both a wheelchair or a walker to get around. Jose’s parents found this difficult as they did not know much about CP, and of course were worried about their son’s future. Two years ago Jose’s neurologist recommended Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) and they were sent to meet with Dr. Shah at the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. Jose and his family live in Fort Worth, Texas, and unfortunately their insurance was not able to cover the cost of the surgery, as Dr. Shah was out of the network they approved for coverage. Jose’s father stayed back to continue to work and Jose and his mother temporarily relocated to Houston so he could have the surgery. This brought new challenges for them.

On August 10, 2020, Jose had SDR at the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. He then moved to Shriner’s Hospital where he spent 5 weeks recovering and attending rehab sessions.

He is now back home where he and his family are taking on the big task to continue his rehab, something that is so important post-op but also can be a challenge, including financially. Jose’s doctor recommended hippotherapy which would assist in his physical, occupational and speech therapy. Finding such a program is not always easy, so Jose and his family have been recommended to purchased a machine that mimics the movement of a horse and incorporate that into his at home rehabilitation program. They are currently fundraising for a machine. For more information or to donate, please visit their GoFundMe page here.

Jose is 5 years old and does his best everyday! He is a happy and strong kid and his family hopes to inspire others and help other parents with their story. You can follow their journey on Instagram at @workingoncp.

Thank you to Jose and his family for letting me share his story!