Live Like Gatty

Live Like Gatty

Live Like Gatty šŸ’™šŸ’›

01/02/2024

January is Coffin-Siris Syndrome awareness month. šŸ’™šŸ¤©šŸ’›

CSS is a very rare genetic disorder, affecting just a few hundred kiddos in the world. Our Gatty B is one of those special and rare cases.

Its that time of year again that I am asking my friends to make Gatlin's photo your profile photo for just one day! šŸ™‚

Fun Facts: Our Gatlin has defied so many odds. Gatlin was referred to neurology, PT, OT, Speech, and Feeding due to delays across the board at 9 months old. Our first neurology and specialty appt didnā€™t look promising for Gatlinā€™s future. We were told he may never walk, talk, or eat independently. His MRI scans showed severe thinnnig of his brainstem along with white matter loss, the doctor's all said he would be completely wheelchair bound and spastic (ironically heā€™s the opposite of spastic and struggled with low tone). Gatlin is the happiest boy. His personality is absolutely INFECTIOUS. He is so loving, so smart, and he will capture your heart with one look into those big brown eyes. šŸ„°

Despite the beliefs early on in Gatlinā€™s life, Gatlin learned to walk at 2 years old, he is finally eating normally, he LOVES his snacks and mac n cheese. We are learning new sounds daily, we know several signs, and continue to progress in our delays developmentally across the board. Gatlin loves to dance. He loves to play with his siblings and he loves animals. We are so proud of Gatlin.

If I could advocate anything about our journey, genetic testing, early intervention, and therapists that believe in your baby as much as you do make the world of difference. If you are a special needs Mama, or your kiddo is struggling, please reach out if you need help or resources. We would love to be a part of your journey. You are not alone. šŸ¤©

Follow our page Live Like Gatty for more. My goal is to post more this year bringing awareness to Coffin-Siris Syndrome, and sharing more of our story and our journey while helping others! šŸ’™šŸ’›

Photos from Live Like Gatty's post 07/21/2023

At 8months old, a neurologist gave us no hope for Gatlin. They told us heā€™d never walk, eat, speak, or live independently. They practically said heā€™d be wheelchair bound and most likely tube fed his entire life.

At 18 months old, his MRI showed severe thinning of his brain stem, fluid on his brain, and white matter loss.

In December of 2022, after 2.5 years of searching for a diagnosis, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition, Coffin-Siris Syndrome (ARID1A).

But then, GOD. Thatā€™s the only explanation I have. Weā€™re still in PT, OT, Speech, and Developmental therapies all several times a week each; but as much as I love all of our therapists, I do not think any sort of therapy could give Gatlin the abilities he has today. Now, granted, his therapists believe in him as much as we do and they have done LOTS of hard work, Iā€™ll NEVER discredit their amazing jobs and work theyā€™ve put into our Gatty B. Weā€™re still not ā€œspeakingā€ much, and weā€™re still catching up on milestones, but GOD said Iā€™m not done with him yet. ā¤ļø

Today, he rode a wakeboard at 3 years old. All of our CSS/non-typical kiddos develop differently, & if your baby isnā€™t there yet, my heart is with you and I hope each of you know how much I pray for you every single day, even those I donā€™t know. & if youā€™re kiddo is able to do things like this, you know how happy it made my heart. I hope so badly this post isnā€™t taken as ā€œbraggingā€ because we all have HARD moments. But Iā€™ll always share our story. And I hope it can give someone just a glimmer of hope if anything. Our kiddos are true warriors. They all amaze me every single day. I couldnā€™t me more proud to be Gatlinā€™s Mama and part of this beautiful community.

Love you all! ā¤ļø

02/28/2023

Today is Rare Disease Day. & you know Iā€™ll never miss an opportunity to brag on my Gatty boy.

Coffin-Siris Syndrome šŸ’™šŸ’›

The words that once turned our world upside down, but now drives us to make others aware.

He is rare. He is strong. He is smart. He is loving. He is rambunctious. He is the boss. He works so hard. He perseveres. But most of all, Gatty lives. He is everything good in this world. I am so proud to be his Mama.

If you are a medical Mama of any kind, we see you, we love you, and we are here for you. We stand with you, always!

Photos from Live Like Gatty's post 01/21/2023

Hey Friends! ā¤ļø

Our friend at Double AA Designs ( Allen) has volunteered to do a shirt fundraiser to help with expenses for our trip to Virginia to see a specialist for Gatty. šŸ’™šŸ’›

Shirts are available in YXS-Adult 3XL in Grey or White

Youth Sizes- $15
Adult Sizes- $20

To order, please comment in shirt color, shirt size, Payment via Venmo, Facebook Pay, or Cashapp. šŸ˜ƒ

12/08/2022

Gatlinā€™s Journey, has now become ā€œLive Like Gattyā€ šŸ’™šŸ’›

So many of you have hung on with us the past few years. I ask you to just hang on with us a little more. I find comfort in transparency. And I find strength in love. If you feel like readingā€¦.

So many nights, I have held Gatlin as he went to sleep, staring at his sweet little face. I have found myself studying his facial features. His ā€œfoldsā€ in his eyes. At least thatā€™s what the doctor called them and said they ā€œindicatedā€ a genetic condition she would tell me. They would say ā€œHis scans donā€™t make any sense, his physical body doesnā€™t match what his scans say.ā€

My life has been consumed of searching for answers and for a true diagnosis for my son for 2 years. I fell down so many rabbit holes, and was SURE I knew what he had. I would send my best friend photos of other kiddos, ā€œlook at this, this ā€œlooksā€ like Gatty.ā€ ā€œLook at that, thatā€™s Gatlin made overā€.

His little eyes have looked at me so many times and made me feel so many different emotions. Those little eyes have made me smile when he looks at me with a mischievous grin, they have told me so many things when he hasnā€™t had words to ā€œspeakā€.

But today, those eyes meant our world turned a little upside down. Today, they meant life was going to be a little harder. They meant my precious boy was a little different. The blood results are in, and a new word is etched into Gatlinā€™s life forever.

No cure. No treatment. No medication.

šŸ’™šŸ’›Coffin-Siris SyndromešŸ’›šŸ’™

Incredibly rare. Less than 200 people worldwide. One in a million, literally. Less than that actually.

Tonight as he fell asleep holding my hand, I stared at his little eyes, and Iā€™ve thought how are we going to make it to tomorrow. But we will. Tomorrow we will wake up, and we will do all the things we done today. And yesterday. And the days, weeks, months before that. There will be joy again. There will be heartbreak sprinkled in, Iā€™m sure. But joy, nonetheless. Because Gatty LIVES.

His little eyes are showing a little something different tonight. Beauty. Grace. Strength.

My heart hurts. I have so many questions. The devil has sat on the edge of my bed so many nights over the years and asked me, ā€œWhere is your God?ā€

As I sit and reflect, I see God in everything in Gatlin.

I see His promises in my son walking, when he shouldnā€™t be. I see His faithfulness in giving him days with no seizures or pain. I see His love in Gatlinā€™s consuming undeniably infectious personality. I see His strength in Gatlinā€™s perseverance. I see Him in the eyes of our precious baby boy, every single day.

ā€œFor you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my motherā€™s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.ā€

šŸ’™šŸ’›

09/13/2022

Hi friends. ā¤ļø

I want to take the time to introduce someone very special.

This is our special little friend, Levi. šŸ’™ Levi is 2, just like Gatlin. We met Levi through our daycare. We quickly became good friends with Levi & his sweet Mommy, Tish. These 2 silly boys really are the best of friends. Neither one can talk verbally, but they have their own little language & the interaction with one another is very special. They both get very excited to see each other of a morning at drop off. šŸ„¹

Levi has a very rare genetic condition called Gnao1. Levi & Gatlin are similar in a lot of ways medically speaking. So itā€™s really easy to relate. They also see a lot of the same doctors and specialists. Just like Gatlin, Levi works hard in therapy and we are hopeful to see him up walking and keeping all the faith just like we did for Gatlin!

We love Levi & his Mommy very much and are so grateful to have them in our lives.

Just look at these 2 sweet boys. šŸ’™šŸ˜ BEST BUDS. ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø

Photos from Live Like Gatty's post 08/24/2022

Hi friends!

Just a check in. Iā€™m trying to stay more active on this page, but you know, LIFE.

No huge medical updates for Gatlin. We are still waiting on insurance to push through our next round of Genetic testing. This process has been very frustrating, but weā€™re hoping it will be approved soon. If approved, we will have some blood work done that looks more under Depth at Gatlinā€™s chromosomes individually to see if there is some sort of mutation. Please say a prayer with us this goes through soon. šŸ¤žšŸ¼Aside from that, we are still in all therapies and thriving.

Gatlin has been having a lot of ā€œnormalā€ life experiences now that heā€™s gotten a bit older and is physically more capable. This summer has been a blast. He got to go to the fair with his siblings (twice), he really enjoyed all of the rides & funnel cakes! He tried his first ice cream cone, went to Texas Roadhouse, has been helping in the kitchen, and found a new love for Rice Krispies! Lol. If you know Gatlin and his feeding difficulty history, this is huge for him. Now that he can eat, itā€™s like he never stops. šŸ˜šŸ˜†

He has spent lots of time in his Aunt JenJenā€™s pool, and at the lake too. He has gotten to love the water in his float, but the sun, not so much! He is growing like a w**d, and is the BEST brother. Nobody loves his baby brother Bailey more than him.

Gatlin is doing wonderful in his day to day life. We still have to sometimes make accommodations for him or adjustments, but to see him being included no matter the difficulty at times, is wonderful. We are proud of our boy. ā¤ļø

I hope to share an update with our next round of genetic testing soon. We have some big appts coming up, the fall seems to be where everything runs together every year. We have neuro, motor clinic, genetics, GI, and developmental to see in the coming months. We hope to share nothing but good news! šŸ˜Š

Photos from Live Like Gatty's post 07/18/2022

Hi friends!

Itā€™s been a bit since we have checked in with everyone. Today we were seen by Dr. Lawrence & the Motor Clinic at the Vandy Specialty Clinic. They sent us over to the hospital after our appt to have a hip x-ray done and some labs.

Our visit went great today. Today we got a very in depth reading of Gatlinā€™s MRI from last July. While we all know how we have depended on the MRI and talked lots about it, Dr. Lawrence said after reviewing his scans this time around, Gatlin physically compared to the scan of his brain makes no sense. She expected Gatlin (by his MRI) to be very spastic, and much more severe. All that hard work in therapy for almost 2 years is paying off. šŸ’ŖšŸ¼ Honestly, the opinion about the MRI was a bit shocking to Josh and I both, because no one has mentioned anything like that to us since our journey with Gatlin has started.

At this point, Dr. Lawrence is convinced Gatlin has some sort of Neuro-Muscular disorder/disease. We are starting with the blood work panel for Muscular Dystrophy and thatā€™s why they sent us to the hospital for labs. Theyā€™ll be retaking his CPK levels, as they were high at 9mo old, but not high enough so it was never re-evaluated.

We went in depth about Apraxia/Dyspraxia and she said a diagnosis of Dyspraxia is more appropriate for Gatlin rather than Apraxia that we were given before after seeing his progress the past few months. & she said it is effecting both fine and gross motor skills.

While itā€™s a little disheartening that weā€™re still on this journey of a more in depth diagnosis, we believe weā€™re so close to getting there. Every step is still taking us in the right direction.

Gatlin also got referred for Aquatic Therapy today. Dr. Lawrence mentioned this last visit, but seeing him now said for us to get in the water as much as possible. Unfortunately, the closest that offers it (that we know of) is in Nashville. So, our PT being the amazing human she is, will be giving us lots of pointers for us to get him started and get him in the water for now.

All in all, it was a decent visit. One step at a time. We love our boy no matter what! ā¤ļø

03/04/2022

****šŸ’šDONā€™T FORGET!šŸ’š****

Tomorrow, March 4th, by wearing green to show your support! šŸ’ššŸ’ššŸ’š

Please post a photo to your FB wall with the hashtag! šŸ’š

Share this post for me friends šŸ˜šŸ’š

03/01/2022

šŸ’š March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness month. šŸ’š

Did you know 1 in 278 children are affected in someway with a type of CP?

On Friday, March 4th, I ask ALL my friends and family here on Facebook to by wearing green that day and posting a photo of you to your FB page!

I have started a scrapbook for Gatlin that shows his progress from the very beginning of his journey. I would love for everyone to please wear Green on March 4th, and post a photo with the hashtag to show your support for our little guy so that I can add this to his scrapbook for his first CP Awareness Month!

Please comment if you plan on participating and share this post for me! Iā€™d love to spread the word and show Gatlin just how much he is loved and supported! šŸ’š

07/30/2021

Just a little update on our Gatty boy!! šŸ„°šŸ¤©

Tomorrow he gets one of his stents removed. His surgery site is looking AMAZING. He is still thriving in therapy, and heā€™s learning to crawl steps!

Weā€™ve been referred to the Pediatric Epilepsy Center and go there next month. The doctor we are seeing is one of the best pediatric epilepsy doctors in the nation! So we are really looking forward to that and to seeing if he can identify whatever is going on with Gatlin and the seizure activity picked up on his EEG. We also got our referral for Dr. Lawrence. This will be a second neurologist to see Gatty. She is a former physical therapist, now Neuro who really specializes in kids with developmental delays. His appt with her isnā€™t until NOVEMBER. Thatā€™s the quickest he could get in. So we will be patiently awaiting that appt as well.

We have Gatlinā€™s first wheelchair picked out and ordered. I donā€™t have much of an update with that. But, I know itā€™s going to take a little time with insurnace and etc.

We are still really considering taking Gatlin to Childrenā€™s in Cincinnati. There is a referral process, and insurance will help, but there are still a lot of expenses that comes with that, that insurance wonā€™t cover. We are considering doing maybe a spaghetti dinner benefit or something of that nature maybe in the fall. Once we have more information on exact costs, referrals, and we would want to have this trip/appts set in stone. If thatā€™s something youā€™d be willing to participate in, please comment below! Weā€™d love your feedback and opinions.

All in all, Gatty is the happiest & sweetest baby, as always! šŸ˜Š we are so appreciative of the outpouring of love and support not only since we got our diagnosis, but also just in general! We love yā€™all!

Hereā€™s a pic of our sweet babe! Heā€™s growing like a w**d! šŸ„ŗšŸ’™

07/20/2021

Today we went to Vanderbilt and got some answers, but still have a few unanswered questions.

Gatlin was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. His neurologist diagnosed him with this because any child under the age of 2 with brain damage & developmental delays qualify for a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. She stated she does not think this will be his only diagnosis. We still have more testing and a few more doctors she would like us to see.

With that being said, she still adamantly believes due to Gatlinā€™s unique eye folds, and his CPK blood results in our first genetic testing that leads her to believe Gatlin may have some sort of very rare genetic disorder in addition to his CP diagnosis. Literally the statistics are like... one in a million. But that could explain a lot as to why heā€™s having some of his issues.

His MRI results showed decreased white matter, and some damage to his brain stem. His brain stem shows thinning. The biggest ā€œwinā€ today, is the part of Gatlinā€™s brain stem that is showing the thinning, she believes will only effect motor skills, not intellectual abilities. This helps explain his low muscle tone and his delays with walking, crawling, coordination, etc. We donā€™t really know why/how this happened yet, and hopefully as we get more testing done, we find out. But thereā€™s also a possibility we may never know what caused the damage.

She has referred us to another pediatric neurologist that specializes in children with developmental delays. She wants this dr to do a more in depth reading of his MRI, and maybe she has some different/additional answers than we got today.

We are also going forward with a second round of genetic testing. This round is called a ā€œhyptonia panelā€.

We are also tossing around the idea of going to the childrenā€™s hospital in Cincinnati. They have more funding and research available for children with genetic disorders & really specialize in that area.

All in all, Iā€™m happy with today. We have some sort of diagnosis that we can move forward with. Although I was really expecting for black and white answers today, I know this puts us on the right track to getting there. Honestly, I thought Iā€™d be a lot more upset than I am. I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, but still feel a heavy cloud of all the ā€œunknownsā€ for the future as we get more in depth with testing and etc.

Another positive note, she was very happy with Gatlinā€™s progress since January. She said we are doing ALL the right things. Therapy, therapy, therapy. Thatā€™s going to help Gatlin the most as he continues to progress.

So, all in all, news could have been so much worse today. But I guess it could have been better too. I still feel a bit numb, but as ive always said, we will do all we can for Gatlin. No diagnosis will change our love for him and how hard we fight along with him. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. As much as I thought part of our journey would end today, it looks like we are just getting started.

We love you all, and couldnā€™t thank each of you enough for all the love, prayers, and support. šŸ™šŸ»šŸ’™

07/19/2021

Tomorrow is Gatlinā€™s big day. For some reason I have thought for the past week the 19th was Tuesday. Thankful that Vandy sends reminder texts that the 19th is tomorrow. šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

Tomorrow we will have Gatlinā€™s full reading and MRI results with his neurologist. We have patiently waited for this day for many months.

Iā€™ll never forget on January 7th the day of Gatlinā€™s first surgery, anesthesia was taking a look at Gatlin. They asked me if anyone ever expressed their concerns of Gatlinā€™s muscle tone being low. Or if we had a history of anything like Muscular Dystrophy in our family. (We donā€™t.) I remember this dark cloud of worry falling over me. We went from thinking we had a perfectly healthy baby to what on earth could be wrong with him.

3 days later we followed up with his pediatrician. They immediately referred us to neurology, PT, OT, and feeding therapy. I felt so guilty thinking how could I have not noticed this before? Iā€™m not a first time mom. I should have known something was off. Those days turned into the past 7 months of therapy, doctors appts, and a lot of unknowns. My mother in law rearranged her entire schedule to be able to keep him and take him to therapy. Because how can anyone afford to take off work multiple days a week? What employer would be so considerate to allow you to do so anyways? Iā€™m so thankful for her everyday, because without her I donā€™t know how we would have done it.

Finally we got to see neurology. I remember when she told me ā€œThereā€™s a less than 1% chance he doesnā€™t have something underlying causing his delays.ā€ My heart felt like it was ripped into shreds. What did I do wrong? My body held and nurtured him for 9 months. What did I do to hurt him.

To say that the past 7 months has absolutely consumed me is an understatement. Researching Gatlinā€™s symptoms and his delays and what could be wrong took up 99% of my time.

The devil has sat on the end of my bed so many nights and asked me ā€œWhere is your God now?ā€ But if these past 7 months have done anything, they made my faith stronger than ever, theyā€™ve made my marriage closer and stronger than before. They taught me how strong my baby is on his own. He fights every single day. He works so hard. He defies any odd put against him and he does exactly what they say he canā€™t!

We may not be walking, YET. But weā€™ve made so much progress. We crawl, we are starting to pull up, we are eating so much better! Gatlin is doing so many amazing things, and we couldnā€™t be prouder.

Tomorrow we may finally have a diagnosis. I sit here and think of how many days Iā€™ve waited and cried for tomorrow to be here. Then I sit here tonight and think, am I really ready? Am I really ready for whatever news they have prepared for us. I get so many people telling me how strong I am. But Iā€™m not strong. Iā€™m really weak. And anxious, emotional, and I over react. Gatlin is the strong one. He amazes me every single day.

God is holding us in his hands every day. Blessing us with Gatlinā€™s strength and perseverance. Whatever news may come tomorrow, we know that we will do everything in our power for Gatty to have all he needs, and do all we can to get him to where he can live a normal happy life. What else could we want for our children?

Weā€™ve lived with so many unanswered questions and unknowns the past 7 months. Tomorrow, starts a new beginning. Tomorrow we will have an outlook and a game plan on what we can do for Gatlin and how his future looks. I donā€™t think Iā€™ll sleep a wink tonight. Iā€™m nervous. Excited. Anxious. And aside from all that, I canā€™t wait to watch my baby boy MOVE MOUNTAINS.

We love you so much Gregory Gatlin Burgess! You are such a light to our family. & we are so stinkinā€™ proud of you every single day! šŸ’™šŸ˜˜

07/15/2021

They just took Gatty back for his MRI. He should be there about 45 minutes. After MRI, the nurse is supposed to call us after they transport him upstairs for surgery. He was super happy most of the morning while we were waiting. Iā€™m so glad Josh and I both could be here this time. It gives me some peace. We came up to the food court to grab lunch, but Iā€™m just not hungry. My nerves are shot. We all know how I worry.

Dr. Tanaka said everything is on schedule, sheā€™s pleased with how he has healed from his first surgery. and she still thinks there is a possibility of a 3rd. Heā€™s in great hands here at Vandy. I couldnā€™t say enough good things about his team here.

We love you so much Gatty B! šŸ’™šŸ™šŸ»

07/01/2021

Gatlin went to the beach last week on vacation! šŸ–ā˜€ļøšŸ¦€šŸŒŠ

He absolutely loved the water. He would just last back and kick and splash! We had a great time!

Gatlin is still an absolute rockstar in therapy! He loves spending a few days a week w/ his Nana, they are best buds! No big changes, BUT we got news today that he gets his wheelchair eval next Wednesday at his PT session! Weā€™re suuuuper excited about this. šŸ„³

Please continue to cover Gatty in prayer! Itā€™s a BIG month in July for him. He has his wheelchair eval, his big surgery, his MRI, and his follow up appointment for MRI results.

His neurologist is confident we will have a diagnosis at his follow up appointment. We are so anxious! But we are ready to push through whatever may come, just like we always have.

Thank you all for loving our boy. šŸ’™ Itā€™s sure an easy job, but weā€™re still appreciative of all of you!

06/14/2021

Small update on Gatty ā¤ļøšŸ˜

Gatlin is still in Therapy 4 times per week between OT and PT. Heā€™s working hard and doing great! Weā€™re noticing he is more weak on his left side, but heā€™s trying and we couldnā€™t ask for more! We are praying he will gain more and more strength as he progresses.

Heā€™s started to take a few crawling steps. He more less tries to scoot rather than traditional crawling, but hey! We will take it! šŸ„°

We also got our order for Gattyā€™s first wheelchair sent in by his PT! Now, his doctor has to come sign off on it, then we will have an eval with a wheelchair rep to see what best fits his needs! šŸ‘šŸ¼šŸ‘šŸ¼šŸ‘šŸ¼ this is SUCH a blessing and will be so helpful with everything we have to carry around for him & he doesnā€™t do so great with a traditional stroller. So we are excited about this.

We are about 6 weeks out from Gatlinā€™s next surgery and MRI of his brain. It seems like yesterday it was January when we first seen neurology and they made the decision to do his MRI at his next scheduled surgery date for his kidney and hypospadias. I have cried so many tears, so many days waiting for this moment. The curiousity and anxiety has consumed me most days. But itā€™s drawing near and we are happy, excited, a little nervous, but declaring in Jesus name that no matter the results Gatlin will be productive, he will live a happy, normal life. & we will do all we can to make that happen! šŸ’“

As far as his feeding tube goes, we were supposed to go to GI last month. I made the decision to cancel this appointment. Gatlin is starting to eat more, he is still on formula, but heā€™s gaining weight and THRIVING. I feel like it was in Gatlinā€™s best interest to avoid a feeding tube all together if possible, and if we have issues down the road, we will revisit. I feel like they were really forcing the tube, and along with his primary pediatrician, we agreed for now, THIS is whatā€™s best. Giving Gatlin every chance and opportunity to not have a tube, and heā€™s doing wonderful so far. šŸ˜­ā¤ļø

We love our little guy so much! Please continue to pray for Gatty, for strength, perseverance, and for all of the unknowns with his MRI coming up. We love you all! šŸ’™šŸ’™šŸ’™

05/11/2021

Small update on our Gatty B! šŸ’™

Gatty is doing great. Heā€™s eating baby food daily, and is taking more baby food than bottles the past week or so! šŸ™ŒšŸ¼šŸ˜­

He has learned to clap and he loves to bang two toys together! Heā€™s laughing more, and we are seeing his little spunky personality. He really is so happy all of the time. Heā€™s doing great in therapy. He works so hard. We couldnā€™t ask for anything more of him or his care team.

Weā€™re getting lots of teeth too! Weā€™re seeing so many ā€œnormalā€ milestones and itā€™s great to have a sense of normalcy these days. We are celebrating any milestone, no matter how small or delayed.

PT has signed an order for Gatlinā€™s FIRST ā€œwheelchairā€. We plan to go with something more like an adaptive stroller. Because we are believing and speaking into existence that HE WILL WALK. It may be a while. It may be a long while. But he will. On his own time. And we believe that! šŸ™šŸ»

Gatty will have a wheelchair rep come visit him at one of his next few PT appts for evaluation, and that should get the ball rolling with that. Weā€™re excited for him and for us! Hopefully this will make transporting and traveling a little easier as our boy grows.

He sees GI on May 25th. And we are REALLY pushing for NO Gtube. Especially now that heā€™s taking foods. But we will see what they say. Months are turning to weeks as we countdown to his MRI of his brain in July. We are so anxious for answers. But no matter what, we know Gatlin is being watched over and taken care of.

We love you all, and as always are so thankful for all of the support. šŸ’™

04/23/2021

Gatlin started OT with a new therapist today. We are super excited. He will be seen with this company 3 times per week.

Weā€™ve noticed Gatlin is gaining some strength lately, which we are SO happy about. šŸ’“ he is working REALLY hard in PT. We are SO proud of him.

Weā€™ve also noticed Gatty is using his right side a lot more than his left. We have some great goals set for him and hoping he shows progress.

We got the results from his swallow study. They showed heavy pe*******on, and that he is at high risk for aspiration. HOWEVER, he is starting to eat more purƩe baby foods the past week or so, instead of just taking his bottle.

Little victories, are still victories to us. ā¤ļø

We go May 25th for our referral to Dr. Vannilam which is a GI at Vanderbilt Childrenā€™s. Please pray that Gatlin gains weight by this appointment and gets outside of the ā€œfailure to thriveā€ window he is currently in.

As always, we love and appreciate all the prayers and support for our Gatty B.

One day at a time. šŸ’“šŸ’“šŸ’“ hereā€™s a video of our sweet boy at OT today. He is so loved!

Photos from Live Like Gatty's post 04/13/2021

Yesterday, we celebrated Gatlin turning ONE! We had a wonderful day with family and friends.

And today, is Gatlinā€™s Pa Gregā€™s birthday. Gatlin is named after him. (Gregory Gatlin comes from Gregory Ken!) I never got to meet Gatlinā€™s Pa, but I have thought all day today how proud he would be of our sweet boy and of our family. Gatlin spent today with his Nana. She took him to Physical Therapy, and she said he worked hard and done awesome! ā¤ļø

This is a big week for Gatlin! Wednesday he gets his swallow study. Hopefully this will give us some sort of answers as to why he canā€™t swallow and eat solid foods. Then, on Friday we have a follow up with his Pediatrician. I am hoping this week we will have some definite answers if we are getting a G Tube for feeding or not.

We also had our first meeting with our developmental therapist this afternoon via Zoom. She will give us some activities to do with Gatlin aside from PT, OT, and Feeding therapies. Today, we set some goals for Gatlin and what we would like him to accomplish going forward. Our biggest goal right now is getting him into Feeding therapy. They are very scarce in our are. However, there is one in Livingston, about 25 minutes from us that has no waiting list. Our goal with that is to coordinate schedules to see if we can get Gatlin to Livingston weekly for feeding therapy around his current PT and OT schedules. This will be a little hectic figuring out, but of course we will find a way.

Our insurance has also approved Gatlin for home health. We have contacted an agency here in our hometown that can provide him nurse care. We are just waiting for them to get all of his medical records and review them so we can get started.

Please continue to pray for Gatty B and this journey that we are on. We are so blessed with this sweet boy, and weā€™re enjoying every minute with him.

Hereā€™s a photo from his party yesterday. And for those that are following that donā€™t ā€œknowā€ us, hereā€™s a photo of our family. šŸ’“ Gatlin is the youngest of SIX! šŸ˜…šŸ¤Æ He is so very loved. & we appreciate all of your support and hanging on for the ride.

Love you all! šŸ’™

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Gatlin started OT with a new therapist today. We are super excited. He will be seen with this company 3 times per week. ...

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