As all new parents will tell you, the first screams of a newborn child are a welcome relief. But for Vicky and David Martin, Isaiah’s first cries were more ominous.
Nurses and doctors crowded around the baby, eyes scanning his soft pink skin and tightly balled fists. A fine layer of light brown hair covered his head, and blue eyes peeked out through half-closed lids. His tiny chest rose and fell with every breath. But here he was, breathing.
That was never a given.
“We went to our anatomy scan, excited to find out if it was a boy or girl,” Vicky told us. “But our world came crashing down when the doctor explained that there was a problem and ‘it could be lethal.’ That word, lethal, still rings in my ears to this day.”
A visit to the maternal fetal specialist confirmed what the ultrasound tech suspected that day: their baby had Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or brittle bone disease.
OI has many different forms, some severe, some life-threatening, and even some that are milder. Isaiah was born with type III, the most severe form in babies who don’t die as newborns.
They were faced with the fragility of life, and yet they stood strong, an unbreakable bond already formed.
On that early Sunday morning in August 2013, Isaiah was born with more than 12 fresh and healing fractures, but not long after, he looked like this:
Eventually, Vicky and David searched online and came upon a support group for parents of kids with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Through that group, they were directed to another children’s hospital, Nemours/AI duPont Hospital for Children, located in WIlmington, Delaware. It would become a second home for the family, and one of Isaiah’s favorite places to be. (Not kidding, he truly loves it there).
Isaiah was diagnosed with communicating hydrocephalus around the age of 1 and had surgery to place a shunt shortly after.
He’s had nine surgeries now, including the placement of his shunt and port and also the addition of some metal rods to act as internal splints. He also has regular follow-ups with the OI clinic, ENT, audiology, pulmonology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, spine specialists and endocrinologist.
What’s incredible about Isaiah is that despite the many obstacles he’s faced, he approaches life with an optimistic attitude that’s difficult to qualify. An unbreakable spirit.
He’s also borderline obsessed with elevators, which works out well since he’s a full-time wheelchair user.
“But not long after, we realized we had an issue,” Vicky told us. “Apparently, the SUV we own can’t handle any type of lift. We started to look into purchasing a used van, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Isaiah’s dad, David, was laid off and our search came to a screeching halt.”
Unfortunately, like so many others impacted by Covid, The Martins quickly went from a one-income family to a no-income family. Thankfully, last month, David was able to find work again and started a new full-time job, but it was a terrifying time for the family.
As if that wasn’t enough, Isaiah’s condition causes him to break a bone 1-2 times per month. Think about that, even as an adult, breaking a bone once every two weeks. And if Isaiah breaks an arm, it makes using his manual wheelchair independently nearly impossible on his own, which increases the need for him to use his power wheelchair instead – and have a way to transport it.
Like Isaiah, Zoe was also diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type III, and also like Isaiah, she stole our hearts with her bright and cheerful personality. The two were fast friends.
So when Vicky and David realized their current vehicle wasn’t going to cut it, they heard from the Lush family and a few other OI friends that Chive Charities might be able to lend a hand. After all, wheelchair-accessible vans are kind of our thing.
And we love an unbreakable spirit.
Because of donors like you (become one HERE), we hit and surpassed the goal in just under 20 hours. Read that one more time for dramatic effect: we hit and surpassed our $50,000 goal in less than a day.
Isaiah was getting his van.
The delivery was successful thanks in large part to the STRATACACHE Brands Marketing Director, Meghan Thompson (and her amazing daughter, Jane), and members of theCHIVE Philly – one of Chive Nation’s most impactful bonafide chapters (including Trish Nicole, Marcus William, Priscilla Jarrell, Lizz Maldonado, and Lance Reynolds) – who selflessly donated their time and energy to bring the dream to life. We can’t thank them enough for making the day so special.
For a boy who loves elevators, we think things are looking up.
Our Chive Charities donors are the lifeblood of our organization. They’re the people in your corner, constantly rooting for you. And above that, they’re the people who would do anything to help. The impact of this campaign is far-reaching. We had the opportunity to help one more worthy recipient, to give a nod to the fragility of life while countering with our own unbreakable support system.
We could all use some more people in our corner. We could all use someone willing to help. Will that person be you? Whether it’s Bronze ($10/month) all the way up to Platinum ($200/month), every bit makes a difference. Become a monthly member of our donor family HERE.
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