Eight-year-old Jack McVey is showing strength while fighting for his life again.
It’s been this way for various portions of his short life.
Since the day he and his twin sister were born prematurely at 25 weeks, he’s been fighting on and off for his right to live. Complications of being premature and long-term intubation led to a prolonged early life stay in the hospital. To help this time, his aunt has set up a GoFundMe while he is in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in Edmonton.
“It’s my hope that this GoFundMe can help ease some of the financial strain of time off from work, trips back and forth from Edmonton to Lloydminster, and all the additional expenses that add up when you’re away from home,” said Lauren Morrison on the page.
A little background:
Jack spent the first four and a half months in a level 3 NICU at the Royal Alexandria Hospital. Additionally, it was followed by four more at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. As was born with tracheal issues, he received a tracheostomy so he could have a stable airway to come home safely. He came home after spending his first 9 months in hospital.
He’s now facing an uncertain future as a second reconstruction is in the works.
“He had to spend those months there because he needed to be watched 24/7/365, something which wasn’t possible at home,” said his father Adam McVey. “His sister has a clean bill of health, but Jack has been in and out of care his entire life.”
What happened?
Morrison and McVey explained that doctors admitted Jack to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton for a routine bronchoscopy to address severe sleep apnea. They planned to remove his tonsils and adenoids, but when anesthesiologists relaxed his muscles, a weak area in his airway collapsed. Doctors performed an emergency intubation and placed Jack in a medically induced coma to secure his airway.
He has turned a corner recently.
“He’s off his ventilator, and we need to get him back to the condition he was in when he came in to give his surgery the best chance of success,” said McVey. “Getting him back to his baseline is what we are focused on right now.”
The Surgeries
McVey explained that the first reconstructive surgery occurred during COVID-19; surgeons at SickKids in Toronto, Ont. performed the procedure to give Jack the best chance of success.
“It was hard, with COVID restrictions in place, it was a difficult time for us; we spent over a month in Toronto with our son at that time,” he recounted.
It involved taking some of his rib cartilage and carving it into the airway. That way the body wouldn’t reject any of the tissue.
That first procedure was called Laryngotracheal Reconstruction. It traces its roots to airway surgeries performed hundreds of years ago. It was refined in the 19th century. Grafting of Cartledge material has been done since the early 1950s and 60s. However, it is still relatively rare due to various complications.
His second surgery, to be performed at the Stollery, does not involve as extensive a recovery time as the first.
“They are going to cut the weakened section out of his airway and reconnect the two other ends back together,” said McVey after speaking with the surgeon.
Despite everything, the McVey’s have nothing but great things to say about Jack’s caregivers.
“It’s always tough to see your kid in the ICU; it’s hard on everyone,” said McVey. “We have nothing but the biggest praises for the medical community. We see so much negativity about the healthcare system, but we haven’t experienced any of that.”
In the Community
McVey and his wife, Alana, are both teachers in the community—McVey works at the Lloydminster Comprehensive High School and Alana is a substitute teacher for Lloydminster Public School Division. McVey says the support from their employer has made a huge difference to dealing with Jack’s medical complications.
“They have been nothing but understanding,” said McVey. “Taking a leave isn’t easy, especially with exams and exam review coming up, but we have found a way to work through it.”
Although facing some challenges most kids don’t have, like a deeper voice and some vocal chord paralysis, Jack is an amazing student. He’s also passionate about bowling and has a banner hanging at Lloyd Lanes Bowling Alley on 56 St.
“He’s a fun-loving, very happy kid who gets along with everyone,” said Jody McDonald, co-owner of the alley. “He’s in Bantom now; he was excited he gets to bowl three games a week on Tuesday since moving up a division.”
His team has been together for a couple of years now and recently won the Saskatchewan Youth Bowling Banton YBC Trio North Provincial
Championship.
“He was super excited to win with his team,” expressed McDonald. “We only hope the best for him and his family during this time.”
Gratitude
The McVey’s are thankful for all the contributions to GoFundMe. However, they are more grateful for the understanding and supportive messages the community has provided.
“It’s amazing to see all the love and support for us and Jack,” said McVey. “Knowing the community of Lloyd is behind us, from employers to family, friends and strangers, means the world.”
They have obtained a space in Ronald McDonald’s house so the family can be together now. Jack received a surgery date of mid-February, with a hopeful recovery time of just a couple of weeks.
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