"We love hearing from his teachers that his energy, waves, and hugs during the school day bring them joy!"

Cameron Thomas was born on September 8th, 2020. He has a 5-year-old brother and a 9-month-old sister. Shortly after he was born, a doctor specializing in umbilical hernias came in to assess him. The doctor assured us that although we would need to transfer hospitals, everything would be ok. What started with a simple hernia diagnosis evolved into 57 days in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Within the first few days of Cameron's life, his health declined quickly. 

Cameron ended up on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) due to his pulmonary hypertension. With pending genetic tests to figure out why he got so sick, we discovered that he had Down Syndrome. Knowing how sick he was at the time and the other genetic abnormalities the tests could have yielded, Down Syndrome was the least of our worries. Sure enough, our "Comeback Cam" got off EMCO after three days and with making a full recovery in the weeks/months to follow. Cameron went from coming home with oxygen and a feeding tube to rolling, crawling, saying a few words, walking, and eating!

Cameron received early intervention therapy starting at a few months old, and it was essential he continues his services as he progresses through the next few years. His Early Intervention coordinator referred us to Rochester Hearing and Speech Center (RHSC) for Early Intervention Developmental Services in the areas of speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy, along with special education. Cameron has only been in the program since September 2022 and has already learned a significant amount. At first, he was hesitant to get on the bus and would often cry on his way to and from RHSC. Now Cameron grabs his backpack and heads towards the front door when we say it is time for school! He waves to his bus drivers and always has a smile on his face when he gets home. Cameron has been more motivated to communicate and shows us what he needs and wants since he started he early intervention services. His consistency with walking instead of crawling has made a dramatic step in the right direction over the last few months.

The projects and activities the RHSC Early Intervention Development Group does with him have seemed to motivate him to be more active and playful at home. We love hearing from his teachers that his energy, waves, and hugs during the school day bring them joy! Rochester Hearing and Speech Center has been a great place to send Cameron, and in only three months has made an immense impact on his fine motor, physical, and speech skills. Everyone there has been so great at communicating and updating us on what Cameron has learned so far. It is astonishing to see how far he has come, and we look forward to seeing what more he can accomplish in the coming year!