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Alex Camacho of Morton was born at 34 weeks. Though he was premature, his parents, Angie and Ben Camacho, were told the difficulties he had sucking, swallowing and breathing were nothing to worry about.
The Camachos left Alex in the level two nursery at OSF Saint Francis in Peoria to spend time with their older son, Zach Camacho, on his birthday.
Ben said they had only been away for about four hours when they received a devastating phone call.
“The doctor called and said, ‘Your baby’s dying,’” Angie said.
Alex had necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition in which portions of the bowel undergo necrosis, or tissue death.
“They said there was a 10 percent chance he was going to make it through the night,” she said.
Alex is now 2. He had seven major surgeries during his first week of life and spent four months in the neonatal intensive care unit.
When the Camachos were finally able to take their baby home, Angie said they noticed he was not focusing, but doctors told her not to worry.
“He was born in April. We found out in December that he had been seizing the whole time and had brain damage,” Angie said.
She said Alex Camacho is cortically visually impaired, which means his eyes are perfectly healthy, but a problem occurs when images are being transmitted to the brain. He also has cerebral palsy, and he is developmentally delayed.
Alex began receiving physical therapy as an in-patient at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Then he started at Easter Seals for occupational therapy, speech and feeding, his mother said.
Alex is one of more than 6,000 Central Illinois children with disabilities who receives services from Easter Seals. That number is growing. Last year, Easter Seals increased the number of children and their families served by 20 percent.
Each year, Easter Seals has a telethon to raise money and awareness for the organization. The 2010 telethon is from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria. It will be broadcast on WMBD-TV 31.
Alex has used the Adaptive Equipment Center within Easter Seals, the cerebral palsy clinic and the warm-water pool, for his various therapies.
“It’s a happy place,” Angie said. “It’s a great thing, especially when you have a child with so many challenges.”
Angie said Alex 6-year-old brother, Zach, has plans to become a doctor, get married and take his little brother with him.
Alex Camacho of Morton was born at 34 weeks. Though he was premature, his parents, Angie and Ben Camacho, were told the difficulties he had sucking, swallowing and breathing were nothing to worry about.
The Camachos left Alex in the level two nursery at OSF Saint Francis in Peoria to spend time with their older son, Zach Camacho, on his birthday.
Ben said they had only been away for about four hours when they received a devastating phone call.
“The doctor called and said, ‘Your baby’s dying,’” Angie said.
Alex had necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition in which portions of the bowel undergo necrosis, or tissue death.
“They said there was a 10 percent chance he was going to make it through the night,” she said.
Alex is now 2. He had seven major surgeries during his first week of life and spent four months in the neonatal intensive care unit.
When the Camachos were finally able to take their baby home, Angie said they noticed he was not focusing, but doctors told her not to worry.
“He was born in April. We found out in December that he had been seizing the whole time and had brain damage,” Angie said.
She said Alex Camacho is cortically visually impaired, which means his eyes are perfectly healthy, but a problem occurs when images are being transmitted to the brain. He also has cerebral palsy, and he is developmentally delayed.
Alex began receiving physical therapy as an in-patient at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Then he started at Easter Seals for occupational therapy, speech and feeding, his mother said.
Alex is one of more than 6,000 Central Illinois children with disabilities who receives services from Easter Seals. That number is growing. Last year, Easter Seals increased the number of children and their families served by 20 percent.
Each year, Easter Seals has a telethon to raise money and awareness for the organization. The 2010 telethon is from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria. It will be broadcast on WMBD-TV 31.
Alex has used the Adaptive Equipment Center within Easter Seals, the cerebral palsy clinic and the warm-water pool, for his various therapies.
“It’s a happy place,” Angie said. “It’s a great thing, especially when you have a child with so many challenges.”
Angie said Alex 6-year-old brother, Zach, has plans to become a doctor, get married and take his little brother with him.
“He loves his baby brother. He knows his brother comes first, and he’s never been selfish about it,” she said. “Zach cheers him on.”
Angie said she thinks of his therapists as cheerleaders as well.
“Because of what they’ve done, he’s drinking from his little cup, talking and trying to eat,” she said.
Angie said her goal is for her youngest son to be able to participate in family activities.
For now, his mother said Alex Camacho loves to take baths, listen to his big brother play the violin, ride his bike and pet his kitten, Sophie.
