Boston Red Sox's J.D. Drew has a scare with son

J.D. Drew of the Boston Red Sox may have had a lot on his mind with the season this year but nothing compares to when he and his wife, Sheigh, found out that their son Jack David needed surgery.

The 17-month-old was diagnosed with a development displacement of the hips after his parents took him to an orthopedist following a fall that broke his collarbone last week.

The surgery lasted six hours followed by 45 minutes to put Jack in a cast that extends from his chest to his ankles. The right-fielder said,

We didn’t see him open his eyes until about 1:30 [a.m.], so we justdidn’t get much sleep. My wife slept for about 15 minutes,and I actually went home, and he had a bunch of spasms throughout thenight, just trying to fight off the anesthesia and the cast that hehas.

Jack was released from the hospital on Wednesday and J.D. returned to the team on Thursday as his wife, who is expecting the couple’s second child, and his mother-in-law took care of the little boy.  But leaving wasn’t the easiest thing for either father or son,

It was hard walking out that door this afternoon. Youhate to leave a little guy like that crying for his dad when you’rewalking out.

It is estimated that Jack will be in the cast for six to eight weeks and there is no way to know what the future holds according to J.D.,

We just kind of play it by ear. Hopefully, everythingforms as it should and there isn’t any recurrence of surgeries oranything like that. But there’s always a possibility that they have togo in and restructure some stuff the older he gets.

J.D. is currently on a nine-day road trip and knows that his mind will be elsewhere.

It will be tough to be away. But I think my wife and her mom will be able to handle it for a while.

Source: Boston Globe

Comments

Awww, poor little guy! I hope everything turns out well!

- Heidi on August 3rd, 2007

The poor baby i wish him a speedy recovery. As i was reading this i was wondering, he has a cast from his chest to his ankles, how does the poor baby go to the bathroom, have his diapers changed or if he can even wear them? Hopefully he is young enough that he doesn’t remember this.

- Liss on August 3rd, 2007

My grandson was born with bi-lateral hip dysplasia. They first tried a harness, but that did not work. He was in a cast from his chest to ankels for his first year of life. At one point, between one of the cast changes he was admitted to the hospital and put in traction for 8 days to stretch his ligaments. He is 5 now and can walk, run and his hips are perfect. As far as changing his diaper, they leave a hole in that area. We used to tear the tapes off of the disposable diaper and then push the diaper into the opening, it was never a problem. The best purchase for a child in a cast is a beanbag chair, we used it alot. Carseats are borrowed from the hospital, they are specially made. The bottom line is children adapt…alot easier than an adult. Thankfully hip dysplasia can be treated and the success rate is very high. They will be amazed how their son will navigate around and adapt. It will be difficult for them, but one of the best things to do is find a hip dyslasia website where there is a ton of information & helpful hints. Good luck to the family and a speedy recovery to their precious child.

- jen on August 3rd, 2007

Liss, he probably has an opening in his cast, that allows for a diaper.

I was born with congenital hip dislocation, and when I was about the same age as Jack, I had surgery to correct the problem. My cast went from my feet up to past my belly button. My legs were splayed out like a frog. I believe I had it on for 2 months. I didn’t end up walking until I was over 2.

Now, I’m fine except for the fact that I was diagnosed with arthritis at 18 in both hips. I wish all the best for Jack and his family.

- Devon on August 3rd, 2007

Perhaps he should stay home and help out.

- Erin on August 3rd, 2007

Thank you, Erin.

“It will be tough to be away. But I think my wife and her mom will be able to handle it for a while.”

If it is that tough, why not ask for a small leave of absence? Maybe it’s a financial thing, but….it seems kinda like he’s leaving the burden of childcare (*surprise) to his pregnant wife, who will have another baby on her hands, and the MIL. Skip the road trip!!

- sinclair on August 3rd, 2007

My daughter was born with hip dysplasia 17 years ago. She lived in a soft cast harness for 8 months I couldn’t bathe her in the tub till 8 months. Why didn’t they notice this at birth as it is a birth defect? I am very sorry for them but it will be alright in the end. My daughter is a happy 17 year old who rows crew. I just have her checked by a orthopedic surgeon every 5 years because it does lead to hip replacement later in life.

- Jennifer C. Donnelly on August 3rd, 2007

Erin-

Perhaps he should stay home and help out? How would he support his wife and son if he stays home and helps out, being on the road with his team is his job, to be able to afford the surgery for his son. WOW!

- Yankee Fan on August 3rd, 2007

Jennifer,

My hip dislocation wasn’t discovered until I was about 16 months old, when I started walking. My mum thought I was a “late-bloomer” but when I DID finally start walking (I took my first steps on the day that my brother was born) they noticed that I walked like Charlie Chaplin. Something similar could have happened in Jack’s case.

I feel for his parents, especially his mum and grandmother, because from what my mum told me, it was really hard to take care of a toddler in a cast while having a infant.

Haha, funny story. When I was in my cast, my brother would hold onto my legs (they were splayed like a frog) and I would pull him around the room! My mum’s got the pictures to prove it!

- Devon on August 3rd, 2007

I was born with bi-lateral hip dysplasia and didn’t find out until I was 19. So I’ve gone through one surgery called a Ganz Osteotomy and looking at about 4 or so hip replacements just on my left hip.

- rachann on August 3rd, 2007

FYI – The condition is called developmental hip dysplasia. While it is commonly present at birth, it can occur at anytime between birth and the time when a child is walking well This could be up to 18 or more months in a normal child.

a friendly nurse practitioner and avid reader of CBB

- Heather on August 3rd, 2007

I hope for a speedy recovery for Jack!

and I think, as much as he wants to stay home to help… He might not be able to because of his contract. Sometimes he can’t just stay home and he can’t help it. Someone’s gotta make money.

- Camille on August 3rd, 2007

I hope JD can go to the http://www.hip-baby.org website to help him in dealing with this issue. My daughter has it and is getting ready for her 2nd surgery, a pelvic osteotomy and this site is wonderful!

- Heather on September 17th, 2007

I hope he gets better even though i know is going to be but i love you JD,Sheigh,Jack,Ella

October 21,2008 this was writen

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- Beth on October 21st, 2008

FYI – info on hip dysplasia

http://health.howstuffworks.com/hip-dysplasia8.htm

- Marina on November 4th, 2008