My Brother Jaydon
The Cardiac Kid!

    My name is Brookquell. I live in Bakersfield Vermont with my family; my father, Kevin, my mother, Carrie, my younger brother Tylor, and my special little baby brother Jaydon.
    Just before we moved to Bakersfield, my mother told us we were going to have a new baby in the family. She was so happy. My dad was happy. He said, “I can’t believe you are having another kid!” I was happy and Tylor was happy, too.
    Mom wanted a boy. My dad said he was going to name the baby Tapioca. I think he was kidding. I didn’t like that name! Tylor wanted a boy. I was the only one who wanted a girl. Nobody knew if it would be a boy or girl.
    At the end of the school year, Mom had the baby. The day Mom had the baby, Tylor and I were at my cousin’s house. My dad and Grandmother Libby took my mother to the hospital. It was June 8th. That night, my dad called us and told us we had a new baby brother. I was very happy. Then my dad said there was something wrong with my brother. There was a problem with his heart and he needed to go to Boston to a big hospital to have an operation.
    I don’t understand all the words but my brother has a condition called a double right ventricle outlet pulmonary artesia. That means he doesn’t get enough blood to his heart and he needs his blood vestals opened more with something called a stent.
    It made me sad to know my tiny little brother needed an operation. I didn’t even get a chance to see him or say goodbye to my mother. I cried because I missed her. Then my mother called me from Boston and I felt better. Mom told me that my brother’s name was Jaydon. I loved that name. I’m glad they didn’t name him Tapioca.
    My mom was in Boston with Jaydon and Dad for a long time. Tylor and I stayed with my Aunt Ann in NH. After a while we got to go to Boston to see my parents and my brother. Boston is a very big place. It was exciting to be in the city. There sure is a lot of traffic in Boston. You have to keep your windows and car locked all the time. I am glad I wasn’t driving!
    When I first got to see Mom and Dad at the hospital I felt happy. Mommy brought me in to the nurse’s room to see Jaydon. He was so cute. He had a lot of tubes and IV’s, even one in his nose! It made me scared and worried to see my brother that way. I was worried that he was dying. My mother reassured me that Jaydon was okay and he was not going to die. Jaydon had a big scar where he had an operation. The doctors said he would be better but he would need other operations.
    When I had to leave that day, I felt very sad. I didn’t want to leave my mom, my dad and my baby brother. Mom and Dad were sad. Dad even cried. I had never seen my dad cry before. I cried and cried going home until my Grandmother Libby helped me to feel better. We stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts and I got a strawberry donut. Dad came home to take care of us. It was about ten days after we got home that my mom and Jaydon came home, too. My mom’s best friend, Shelby, brought her home. It was a surprise that Mom was coming home. I was so happy.
    Having a baby brother was fun. I got to feed him and change his diapers. I don’t always like to change his diapers, but I do. Jaydon would wake up in the night and I would go and get him, if my mom wanted me to. Sometimes I would make his bottle. It’s easy to do in the microwave.
    I love to play with Jaydon. He is much bigger now. As Jaydon gets older he will have to have other operations to do the same thing. I want Jaydon to get all better, but am still worried. I am worried that Jaydon will hurt. He always screams when he sees someone who is wearing hospital scrubs. I think he knows what is going to happen.
    I will help take care of him just like I did when he came home the other times. Mom and Dad told me Jaydon is going to be okay. I believe them. When Jaydon is all well and bigger, I am going to teach him how to count and write on the computer. Maybe someday I can even teach him to drive a car – but not in Boston. There is too much traffic there!