The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Reminder published an article in April as a young family, from Flin Flon but currently living in Medicine Hat, searched for help in regards to their son, Dexter, and the battles he had been facing caused by Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). The Reminder recently caught up with busy mom Amy Green to find out how Dexter has been doing. He celebrated his first birthday on September 25. During the first year of his life, Dexter was in and out of the hospital in various cities. In our last article, the Green's were reaching out for financial help and a chance to get to Toronto to the Hospital for Sick Children. Since April, contact was made at the Toronto hospital as Dexter's doctors were able to connect with CDH doctors as well as a gastrointestinal doctor to review his charts. The doctors sent recommendations to Dexter's doctors in Calgary. 'Toronto had said there would be no easy fix, as Dexter is a complex case,' Amy wrote in an e-mail. That doesn't seemed to have slowed Dexter down any as he is 'a very happy and laid back boy,' said Amy. Dexter will continue to find struggles throughout his life and will find new ways to conquer challenges. He is now able to sit up on his own, but has not yet started to walk or crawl. '...but they say that is supposed to be expected,' said Amy. New Meds The Greens were recently approved for Dexter's medication through Health Canada, which is currently off the market and only available in special cases. Dexter's medications are to help with 'his extreme (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) gerd,' Amy said. The Greens are still waiting on recommendations from Toronto as they haven't noticed any 'significant improvements' in Dexter, though Amy says he continues to get stronger physically. 'So that is helping decrease some of his gerd,' she said. In the Spring, Dexter was in and out of the hospital more than he was at home in Medicine Hat. Amy says the family hasn't spent any unusual time in the hospital since June. The Greens continue to travel to Calgary once a month, sometimes twice, for appointments, but aside from one overnight stay the family has been at home. Dexter was involved in an overnight sleep study and later had day surgery to 'get a few more things fixed.' This is the longest stretch, from June until September _ nearly October _ that Dexter has been out of the hospital. As Dexter just turned one he is more aware of his surroundings than when the complications, treatments, and appointments first arose. 'Dexter is more aware of what is going on,' said Amy. 'He will put up more of a fuss when trying to give him medicine in his tube or changing the tape around it, but he also likes to try and help sometimes.' The Reminder will continue to follow Dexter's progress.
