On a Monday, nine-month-old Greyson Young and his family were living the good life. On the outside, Greyson was a perfectly happy and healthy little boy who liked eating bananas and being on the move when he wasn’t playing with his big brother or snuggling with his mom.
On Tuesday, that all changed.
While Greyson was born without any problems, during his 6-month check-up, his head circumference was in the 93rd percentile. Today (at his 9-month check-up), it was off the charts. Something was wrong. They found Greyson had severe hydrocephalus, a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles deep within the brain. The extra fluid puts pressure on the brain and skull, causing brain damage and seizures.
On Friday, Greyson and his family were introduced to Dr. Daniel Fulkerson, one of four fully board-certified pediatric neurosurgeons in Indiana, who recommended immediate intervention.
“I immediately felt at ease after we met and started talking (with Dr. Fulkerson),” Ashley says. “He was so calm and collected, and he didn’t leave any room for me to worry.”
On Saturday, Greyson had brain surgery. But not just any brain surgery, Dr. Fulkerson happened to be one of the few neurosurgeons who specializes in a particular endoscopic option called ETV (endoscopic third ventriculostomy). Commonly, hydrocephalus is treated by implanting a shunt, or a tube, into the brain to drain the excess fluid to another part of the body, but shunts are not always problem-free.
Greyson’s surgery was a success. After a year, post-op Dr. Fulkerson says, “Greyson is doing fabulous. He’s shown no symptoms and encountered no problems so far. If he goes a full year without requiring another surgery, he’s probably cured for life.” In less than a week, the Young family’s life went from idyllic to tragic, back to normal. What could have been a lifelong medical challenge is now a bump in Greyson’s life journey.
As a Notre Dame fan, Greyson had a great time meeting the players and being an official reporter for a day. He even told his mom it was like being on ESPN!
