Children's of Mississippi Kid Coach of the Week: Jacob Wilson
March 09, 2017 | Baseball
Kid Coach is a partnership between Children's of Mississippi and the Mississippi State Bulldogs to honor pediatric patients and celebrate their inspirational stories. This week, our Children's of Mississippi Kid Coach is Jacob Wilson of Richland.
As a baby, Jacob sat up later than other children his age and suffered from recurring ear infections. He had a hard time fighting them off, and no one could explain why. As he got older, Jacob began to suffer from other health complications including myopathy, leg pain, and unexplained viruses. He had many individual diagnoses but no overall explanation.
In 2010, Jacob's first cousin was diagnosed with Barth syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder that occurs primarily in males. In fact, it's so rare that fewer than ten infants are diagnosed each year in the United States. Some of the symptoms, including muscle weakness and growth problems, were the same issues Jacob was experiencing. Jacob was referred to a geneticist at Children's of Mississippi, and lab work confirmed that he too had Barth syndrome, making Jacob and his cousin the only two known cases of the disease in Mississippi. There is no specific treatment for Barth syndrome, but each of the individual problems can be successfully controlled. Jacob sees several specialists at Children's of Mississippi including a cardiologist, a neurologist, and a geneticist.
Jacob is now 16. His heart is healthy, but he still faces many physical challenges as a result of his condition. Physical activity, even just walking short distance, can be difficult and his body has trouble fighting off infections.
Jacob is very social and loves being around people. His favorite hobbies include hunting, fishing and drawing.
About Children's of Mississippi
With Mississippi's only children's hospital plus clinics statewide, Children's of Mississippi is here for every Mississippi kid. Children's of Mississippi is a part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. To learn more, visit mississippikids.org.
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As a baby, Jacob sat up later than other children his age and suffered from recurring ear infections. He had a hard time fighting them off, and no one could explain why. As he got older, Jacob began to suffer from other health complications including myopathy, leg pain, and unexplained viruses. He had many individual diagnoses but no overall explanation.
In 2010, Jacob's first cousin was diagnosed with Barth syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder that occurs primarily in males. In fact, it's so rare that fewer than ten infants are diagnosed each year in the United States. Some of the symptoms, including muscle weakness and growth problems, were the same issues Jacob was experiencing. Jacob was referred to a geneticist at Children's of Mississippi, and lab work confirmed that he too had Barth syndrome, making Jacob and his cousin the only two known cases of the disease in Mississippi. There is no specific treatment for Barth syndrome, but each of the individual problems can be successfully controlled. Jacob sees several specialists at Children's of Mississippi including a cardiologist, a neurologist, and a geneticist.
Jacob is now 16. His heart is healthy, but he still faces many physical challenges as a result of his condition. Physical activity, even just walking short distance, can be difficult and his body has trouble fighting off infections.
Jacob is very social and loves being around people. His favorite hobbies include hunting, fishing and drawing.
About Children's of Mississippi
With Mississippi's only children's hospital plus clinics statewide, Children's of Mississippi is here for every Mississippi kid. Children's of Mississippi is a part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. To learn more, visit mississippikids.org.
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