Children's of Mississippi Kid Captain of the Week: Walker Bartlett
November 20, 2019 | Football
Kid Captain is a collaboration between Children's of Mississippi and the Mississippi State Bulldogs to salute pediatric patients. Their inspirational stories remind us just how truly courageous these young people are.
This week's Children's of Mississippi Kid Captain is Walker Bartlett of Starkville.
At 18 months old, Walker contracted a case of bacterial meningitis that caused severe seizures. He came to Children's of Mississippi where he spent a week in the pediatric intensive care unit, followed by five more weeks in the hospital. Before his illness he was a very active little boy. The infection and seizures caused so much trauma to his brain that he lost his ability to support his own head, sit, crawl, walk, swallow, or talk.
Fortunately, Walker had the right team of pediatric experts in neurology, general surgery, neurosurgery, infectious disease, audiology, and complex care. Working together, they provided the specialized care Walker needed to survive and begin recovery.
With Mississippi's only children's hospital and pediatric clinics across the state, Children's of Mississippi doctors work together to care for kids at every step, in every location. Only UMMC can provide this level of help for children like Walker. In fact, Mississippi State recognizes Children's of Mississippi as their official children's hospital.
Walker required full body support and a feeding tube when he left the hospital. He still has profound hearing loss in his left ear, and his Children's of Mississippi neurologist continues to carefully monitor him for any seizure activity. But he's made great progress, and he can now walk on his own and swallow both solid food and liquids.
Walker's mom, Peyton, says he is a professional at singing, very off key, at the top of his lungs. And he's never met a gummy snack he doesn't like.
Have fun at Saturday's game, Walker! Your friends at Children's of Mississippi are cheering for you!
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Help us grow so they can grow.
You can help kids like Walker with a tax deductible gift to expand and improve Mississippi's only hospital for children. Give today at growchildrens.org.
This week's Children's of Mississippi Kid Captain is Walker Bartlett of Starkville.
At 18 months old, Walker contracted a case of bacterial meningitis that caused severe seizures. He came to Children's of Mississippi where he spent a week in the pediatric intensive care unit, followed by five more weeks in the hospital. Before his illness he was a very active little boy. The infection and seizures caused so much trauma to his brain that he lost his ability to support his own head, sit, crawl, walk, swallow, or talk.
Fortunately, Walker had the right team of pediatric experts in neurology, general surgery, neurosurgery, infectious disease, audiology, and complex care. Working together, they provided the specialized care Walker needed to survive and begin recovery.
With Mississippi's only children's hospital and pediatric clinics across the state, Children's of Mississippi doctors work together to care for kids at every step, in every location. Only UMMC can provide this level of help for children like Walker. In fact, Mississippi State recognizes Children's of Mississippi as their official children's hospital.
Walker required full body support and a feeding tube when he left the hospital. He still has profound hearing loss in his left ear, and his Children's of Mississippi neurologist continues to carefully monitor him for any seizure activity. But he's made great progress, and he can now walk on his own and swallow both solid food and liquids.
Walker's mom, Peyton, says he is a professional at singing, very off key, at the top of his lungs. And he's never met a gummy snack he doesn't like.
Have fun at Saturday's game, Walker! Your friends at Children's of Mississippi are cheering for you!
Â
Â
Help us grow so they can grow.
You can help kids like Walker with a tax deductible gift to expand and improve Mississippi's only hospital for children. Give today at growchildrens.org.
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