Jason is 23 years old. He was born in 1974 and was diagnosed at the age of 12. He was a full term baby, 7 pounds and 11 ounces. His was a normal birth except that he was born with an extra finger on each hand and an extra toe on his left foot.
His
extra fingers were removed before he left the hospital and his toe removed when he
was
three. The doctor said it was because of the RH factor (his extra digits) and gave his
mom a shot for it.
Jason developed more slowly than his older
brother
Craig. He was given glasses when he turned three. His parents were not worried
because near-sightedness ran in the family.
It was a nightmare when
Jason started school. The teacher called Jason's mom, Carol and told her that Jason
was
immature, and could not keep up with the other kids. both academically and socially.
Carol left that day crying! Jason was held back that year and things proceeded along
with the family trying to keep Jason up to the teachers' expectations.
During the years that followed, Jason was labeled mildly mentally retarded. He did
receive extra help in the resource room because of this. During this time the family
grew
by two. Sons Keith and Tyson. Keith came along when Jason was 8 and Tyson when
he was 11. (See their pages!!)
Jason has done well. He has been some
what of a textbook case LMBBS patient. He is now 23. For the last two years he has
been
losing his central vision. He is borderline diabetic. Jason started out in life very heavy,
but when he turned 14, he slowly started taking weight off. He has very low muscle
tone but it is not as noticeable now since he has slimmed down. He now weighs 170
pounds and is 6 foot 3 inches tall.
Jason has had surgery for sleep
apnea,
he had his gallbladder taken out at age 17, and has had to have several moles
removed.
The upside is that Jason is an absolutely wonderful young man! He was an adorable child and is one of those rare people who make being a parent a joy. He has a very dry sense of humor, loves to laugh and at the same time is very quiet and keeps his feelings inside. One of his brothers is similar, so for a long time his mom felt that this was part of the syndrome. Then came Tyson!
Jason likes going to movies, bowling (he does well because the pins are lit up and he
throws HARD!), camping, and playing basketball with his Dad and brothers.
His most
prized possession is a Siberian Husky named KODI. This doesn't surprise his parents
who tended to refer to him as "Grizzly Adams" when he was growing up! Animals have
always loved the gentle spirit that Jason possesses.
Jason has always
enjoyed riding bike. His mother relates that when she mentioned this to another
LMBBS mom, she was shocked the boys could ride! It took them longer than normal
to learn how, and it was scary for their parents to watch. It was harder in the bright
sunshine and they hard their share of skinned knees, hands, and faces, but it was worth
it
for the freedom it allowed!
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