To his family and friends, 15 year old Eric Moore has always been just a normal kid. His easy, contagious laughter, quick sense of humor and razor-sharp wit have made him unforgettable to everyone who has come into contact with him.
His team of dedicated medical professionals might also find him unforgettable, but not because he’s a normal kid.
Eric was born with the deck stacked against him, although his mother wouldn’t find that out until over a decade later when the diagnosis of X-linked Chondrodysplasia Punctata was made at 14. Before then, a series of seemingly unrelated other diagnoses and medical mysteries plagued the family and caused an otherwise happy child unbearable amounts of pain.
According to the National Institute of Health, Chondrodysplasia punctata is an abnormality that appears on x-rays as spots (stippling) near the ends of bones and in cartilage. In most infants with X-linked chondrodysplasia punctata 1, this stippling is seen in bones of the ankles, toes, and fingers; however, it can also appear in other bones.
Agenesis of Corpus Callosum. A relatively simple name for a devastating condition that is anything but simple. Diagnosed in utero, doctors are still mystified as to why this happened to Eric. In layman’s terms, it means that a piece of his brain that connects the two hemispheres failed to develop before birth. In real time, though, this translates to growth deficiencies, physical defects, learning difficulties such as ADHD (despite which Eric is consistently an honor roll student), and physical pain.
Osteochondritis Dissecans. According to Mayo Clinic, this joint condition occurs when underlying bone dies due to lack of blood flow. The necrotic bone and cartilage then breaks loose, causing pain and hindering joint motion. 3 years ago, this meant a series of complicated surgeries to drill holes in Eric’s ankles in an attempt to strengthen the bone.
Optic Dysplasiahas rendered this young man nearly blind in his left eye, and his vision continues to deteriorate at an alarming speed.
Eric’s mother, Jacey, has dedicated every ounce of her time, money and effort since Eric’s birth to nurturing and caring for him on her own. Because of her efforts, Eric spent the vast majority of his childhood going to school, playing with friends, and living his day to day life seemingly unaware of how different he was, with the exception of his never-ending parades of doctors, surgeries and specialists.
Eric has awed his family with how intelligent, well adjusted and happy he is despite the struggles that he and his mother have faced time after time.
My name is Chrystal, and I’ve created this fundraiser on behalf of my sister-in-law, Jacey.
Jacey has always been a zealous and motivated person. I’ve witnessed hurdle after hurdle that she has jumped to get Eric the best care she could on what she had. He has been her driving force in everything that she has done.
But, after 15 years, it’s become necessary to reach out for help.
Scoliosis. Most of us have heard of it. Some have even had it; maybe worn a back brace, or done physical therapy to remedy it. For Eric, it’s too late for that. The progression of his scoliosis is too rapid. Too aggressive. The doctors state that a brace for Eric would be like a band-aid on a gunshot wound. The only solution? An incredibly complicated and painful surgery to attempt to correct his spine and restore his height, ability to walk, and most importantly, take away his pain.
Jacey has had to take off from her job for the last month to provide round-the-clock care for Eric, who has been bedbound and unable to do for himself during this time. The family still needs to pay bills and live day to day, despite her loss of income.
The surgery took place on September 16, 2020. Eric's road to recovery has been long and daunting, and the family needs as much help as possible. Eric's height and physique have improved with his back straightened, but now none of his clothing fits him. Every improvement for him also presents a unique set of challenges. Please consider helping in any way you are able; anything donated will go directly to covering living and medical expenses for Eric and Jacey.
