Jack’s Journey

September 5, 2024

If you ever have the chance to meet Jack, you’ll find a sweet, smiley boy who loves to interact with people and dance to music being played in his classroom at Elim. But Jack’s journey started long before coming to Elim – at 48 hours old.

“Jack was born with a congenital heart defect,” shares his mother, Pam. “It’s called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.”

Jack’s left ventricle was underdeveloped, leading him to spend his first four months of life in the hospital. He had his first open heart surgery at seven days old and his second surgery at four months old. After two unsuccessful surgeries, Jack went into congenital heart failure and was transferred to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he received a heart transplant at just ten months old.

“It was a very challenging time, and we still face challenges,” Pam says.

Finding Elim

With a diagnosis of autism and a compromised immune system, Jack’s family knew he needed to go to a school that could support him and meet all his needs – that’s when they found Elim.

The staff at Elim works with Jack on his communication device to help him vocalize his needs, and his family has seen that hard work pay off at home!

Due to the fragility of his immune system, his family needs to take him to the hospital any time Jack has a fever because the cause could come from anywhere. As Jack becomes more and more comfortable with his communication device, he can point out the source of his pain to his family, which is something Pam looks forward to. “I know he’s in a good place. Everyone treats him like he is their own kid,” Pam adds.

Jack’s Journey Continues

Two years ago, Jack was diagnosed with PTLD (post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder), which is a type of cancer that results from medication used on transplant patients. He needed to start chemotherapy, resulting in him being out of school for months. But his Elim family did not forget him.

Jack’s teacher had students and staff write cards and letters for him while he was going through chemotherapy and couldn’t be in class. “They made an effort to think about him even when he couldn’t be there,” Pam shares.

Now, Jack is back at Elim! He loves participating in his classroom activities and being surrounded by his peers. His class even threw an anniversary party on the date of Jack’s heart transplant – celebrating eight years of Jack having a new heart.

Jack’s journey has not been the easiest. But we are blessed that this path brought this sweet, smiley, bubbly boy to Elim, and we are so excited to see how he will continue to thrive.

Because of your generosity, students like Jack receive the tools and resources that they need to thrive. Can you give today and equip over 400 students and adults at Elim to pursue their God-given potential?