Jared Jordan’s Journey with Spinal Cord Injury

Jared is the 16 year old son of Jason Jordan and Jennifer Wall Jordan of Macon, GA. He is a proud Mount de Sales Cavalier football player who enjoys playing video games, hanging out with friends and swimming. On June 12, 2019, Jared was swimming with friends when tragedy struck. Jared dove into what he thought was the deep end of the pool. Unfortunately he had miscalculated where he was and hit his head on the bottom. He fractured his C5 and C6 vertebrae and suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down. After surgery and 10 days in the PICU at the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, he was transferred to Shepherd Center in Atlanta. During his 4 1/2 months stay there, Jared worked very hard and made great strides. He went from not being able to feed himself, to having some use of both arms and his left hand. This was the biggest blessing as it gave him a lot of independence. But like the old saying goes, 2 steps forward and 1 step back right? So yes, Jared also faced multiple setbacks while he was there such as a pilonidal cyst abscess which caused a large open wound that ultimately took six weeks to heal, he developed MO (myositis ossificans,) had several UTIs, developed 2 drug allergies, suffered from severe neuropathy (pain cause by nerve damage,) and had severe uncontrolled muscle spasms which led to his 2nd surgery, the insertion of a Baclofen pump just days before he was scheduled to discharge home. Since coming home the middle of November, Jared has gotten so much stronger with continued therapy, but he has not had much in the way of new movement. While this is not what they had hoped for, the Jordan’s are not giving up because they know that anything’s possible and spinal cord injuries can take up to 2 years to heal. They are also firm believers that Jesus is the Great Physician and if it’s His will, He will heal Jared completely in His own timing. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever. Joshua 1:9 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6