Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Wayne Sogge sent this photo to benefit organizer Deb Belquist on May 9. He wrote, "First time since April 9 Jacob was in Daddy's arms. His fever broke. He has a small smile. Feeling thankful."
A lasagna supper with a bingo benefit and cake walk is being held this Wednesday, May 23 to support nine-year-old Jacob Sogge and his ongoing medical costs associated with surgery and recovery to treat Type 2 Chiari Malformation.
The supper will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Bingo starts at 6:30 p.m. In addition, a raffle will be held to win an autographed Carson Wentz football jersey. Raffle tickets are available at the Latte Lobby, or by contacting Gail Weisenburger, Deb Belquist or Janel Fortney. Raffle tickets will also be for sale at the benefit.
A Chiari Malformation appears in the base of the skull and cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. As a result of the growth, Jacob was experiencing both balance and speech issues, which significantly affected his daily activities.
On April 9, Jacob underwent surgery at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital in Minneapolis to have the growth removed. At the same time, doctors repaired a valve in his throat.
It was anticipated that the surgery would be complicated, taking a team of 10 doctors 10-12 hours to complete. The inpatient recovery at the hospital was expected to last a week to ten days, with additional recuperation time at home.
However, Jacob has experienced complications and has undergone multiple surgeries since that initial surgery. Currently, Jacob remains hospitalized at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis where he underwent his most recent surgery on Tuesday, May 15.
His doctor says Jacob is showing slow recovery and is expected to remain hospitalized for a while, but should not need any more surgeries. His recovery is expected to be slow, since he will be required to start over and re-learn many of his functions. The doctor said that he has been working with speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists to help Jacob's progress.
Progress has been slow, his dad, Wayne Sogge, tells us. Jacob has been able to move his right shoulder, but not his fingers yet. His tracheotomy tube does not allow him to communicate, which can be frustrating.
Jacob is also on a Trilogy Ventilator, but is undergoing trials to remove the ventilator by spending two hours on and then off the ventilator with the goal of decreasing the amount of time he is on the ventilator. His dad made sure to point out that the ventilator does not provide oxygen for him, but merely added moisture, like a humidifier would so it's easier to breathe.
Jacob's mother, Nina Sogge, and his brothers, Stephen and Justin, are expected to attend the benefit, and although he has been spending most of his time at the hospital, Wayne Sogge anticipates that he will also be able to attend.
His family keeps looking forward to seeing small steps of progress, like what happened on Wednesday, when Jacob was able to sit completely upright in a wheelchair for the first time in a long time. They are grateful for every small step he takes, as they know he has a long road ahead.
