Roan seemed to be a healthy baby at birth. His parents weren’t alerted to anything with him physically until early 2020, when he was in pre-school and his teacher noticed that he was a bit unstable when he walked.
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nHis parents took him to his local doctor who did some tests and suggested they take Roan to Shriner’s Hospital in Portland for testing.
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nShriner’s Hospital sent Roan to OHSU in Portland for genetic testing. Those tests resulted in a diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy, which is a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.
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nRoan’s condition causes him to be wobbly when he walks. He wears braces on his feet at night to keep his feet from turning down. He also has difficulty standing up. He can’t climb on things the way most kids do, but he keeps trying!
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nRoan is not very social at pre-school yet, but he is working on his communication skills and is getting better at letting people know what he thinks and feels.
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nAs Roan gets older, he will benefit from physical therapy. His parents are not yet certain what mobility equipment he will need.
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nDespite his medical challenges, Roan is a happy little 4-year-old boy! He loves to spend time with his two older brothers. He also likes to draw, go to the park, and go on hikes with his family.
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nRoan will be adopted as a Sparrow to Redmond High School. Redmond High students will work hard to raise money for Roan through sponsored community service.