Arlo is a unique 5-year-old boy from Selma, TX. His medically complex life has been a total rollercoaster of ups and downs. He contracted bacterial meningitis at 11 days old which caused significant damage to his brain. He wasn’t expected to survive but he has shown everyone that he is a true warrior. He has a tracheostomy and is vent dependent 24 hours a day.
Arlo is a super cool kid. He has a great sense of hearing and enjoys all genres of music. He is a big fan of The Beatles and Selena. Thanks to his home health nurses, he has discovered an appreciation for country music, especially Jon Pardi. Although Arlo cannot speak, he communicates in his own way. He has different types of sounds to let us know when he wants his music on or to let us know he needs something. He also enjoys being talked or read to.
Arlo has overcome many illnesses in his short 5 years of life. Everyone is amazed at how he can recover from each illness. He is immune compromised and has difficulty maintaining a normal body temperature. Arlo experiences many seizures daily. He is immobile and his livelihood depends on the care of parents and nurses.
We are proud to be Arlo’s parents. We have accepted the complex life of being parents of a medically fragile child. Just some of the daily challenges include rescheduling our work to make appointments, picking up medications, calling doctors, coordinating multiple therapies, and dealing with nursing issues. We have had to work through multiple traumatic experiences with Arlo, countless sleepless nights, and the daily heartache of knowing our son will not have the same opportunities in life that our other children will have. Yet he has made our family stronger in so many ways. Arlo has taught us how to listen, how to advocate and how to love without limits.