As we’ve shared many times before, several of our children have significant medical concerns. Often, they arrive in our home battling emotional, psychological, and physical trauma simultaneously. Finding the correct diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be difficult.

In the middle of playing legos and cars, Josue and Carlos are fighting significant medical conditions currently. Doc Castro would like to share an update on these 2 brave boys.

Josue

Josue’s joyful spirit is determined to outshine his medical concerns. He’s loving and happy, always smiling and looking to share his joy and love with everyone around him. Based on his spirit, you might not realize he’s fighting an illness.

Doc knew very early on that Josue faced significant medical concerns. Luckily, Josue has been under Doc’s care since he was an infant, giving him access to high-quality medical care and consistent treatment.

Josue was born with congenital urinary and intestinal tract anomalies. His condition requires extensive treatment and care from our staff. Although he’s received excellent care throughout his childhood, his diagnosis means we will always be working to maintain his health and prevent further complications and damage to his body.

Please join us in prayer for Josue. His team of urologists, pediatric surgeons, and Doc are preparing him for surgery in the near future. Our greatest concern is protecting his kidneys from damage. We’re hopeful Josue will be scheduled for surgery in the near future.

As we wait, Josue is continuing to enjoy school and play as normal. We’re working hard to support his emotional and psychological needs during this time. No child likes to be sick or feel different than their friends, so we’re helping him navigate those feelings and prepare for his treatments.

Doc believes this surgery will prevent Josue from more severe complications in the future.

Carlos

Properly diagnosing the conditions our children face can be difficult. Their backgrounds often play a significant role in their health. Carlos entered our home as a foster child in 2017 and Doc has been working for the last year and a half to properly diagnose his medical conditions and choose the appropriate treatment.

When Carlos came to our home, he didn’t speak. Choosing not to speak which is sometimes common for children who have been abused or removed from their families. Carlos’ case was different.

Even after living with us for a while, he still didn’t speak. Not to any of our Special Mothers, nor the other children. Doc started looking into a possible medical reason for Carlos’ condition. Although he does not speak, Carlos is not deaf.

Doc first started researching the possibility that previous trauma or abusive situations may have impacted Carlos’ ability to communicate. In some cases, children can suffer from selective mutism or conversion disorder due to trauma. Both conditions were possible for Carlos.

To provide a comprehensive diagnosis, more testing was done. During those tests, doctors instead found evidence of neuronal migration disorder. Although Carlos may have experienced abuse and trauma, it seems his mutism was due to a genetic condition and will require additional testing.

Carlos is now receiving speech therapy, special education services with a focus on his communication skills, and continued support from Doc and his team of specialists.

If you’d like to help Josue and Carlos continue receiving excellent medical care, join us as a monthly sponsor.