Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
When Kaitlyn McCormack heard that medical marijuana could ease her son's seizures, she was a little skeptical.
But after learning of other families' success stories, she opened her mind.
"I was instantly floored. Stunned," said McCormack, 22. "I had no idea that there was something that could control his seizures, possibly."
That possibility would be life-changing for Cameron, who takes his medications through a feeding tube and is weakened by their sedating side effects, she said.
"I think he would show significant improvements in every category if we were able to access medical marijuana," the York Township mom said.
Cameron
McCormack said she had a normal pregnancy, but Cameron was born with microcephaly, which is the likely cause of his epilepsy. His brain is smaller than normal, although doctors say he's capable of becoming self-sufficient, she said.
Cameron was born at York Hospital on April 21, 2013, and he had his first seizure at 3 days old, McCormack said. He has all types of seizures, and he's not immune to the silent kind, which can happen at any time and correlate with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, she said.
He's been on meds since he was 2 weeks old, and he's now on five anti-seizure prescriptions, said McCormack, a 2011 graduate of Dallastown Area High School.
"There are a lot of scary side effects," she said.
Side Effects
Major downsides of certain meds include compromised vision, loss of appetite, addiction and fatigue, McCormack said.
"It's definitely affected his everyday life because he's not awake to learn or do things," she said.
At nearly 2 years old, Cameron has six teeth, and they're short and stubby – another medication causes bleeding and overgrowth of his gums, McCormack said.
He has yet to show his personality because of the pharmaceuticals, she said.
"I think he's too sedated to have many feelings or emotions or pain," McCormack said.
Willing To Try
McCormack said her doctor asked if she'd be comfortable with allowing Cameron to be a candidate for a future study on CBD, the non-psychoactive component in medical marijuana that has helped others with epilepsy.
"I was very excited because from what I've seen, from what I've researched, from the stories I've heard, it means a different life for him," she said, tearing up.
The treatment could help him with his appetite, alertness and general mood, McCormack said as her son slept soundly, just feet from her side.
"When you go through everything we've been through since he was born, you're more willing to try to give your child a better quality of life – or any kind of life besides just laying there," she said.
McCormack said she hopes that, with legal access to the treatment, she'd no longer have to live in fear of losing him.
"Hopefully it comes around before anything severe would happen," she said.
Grandma's Love
For McCormack's mother, Yvonne McCormack, the sheer possibility of helping her grandson is enough reason to make medical marijuana legal.
"If they told me snake oil would cure my grandson, I would go find it," she said.
About half the states in the U.S. have legalized medical marijuana. The treatment is available illegally, but it's expensive and dangerous to get, McCormack said.
"It's a plant-based thing. ... I don't get why Pennsylvania is so far behind," said the grandmother, who moved from York to New York about four years ago.
Many of the parents fighting for legalization don't know what it does because they haven't tried it yet, she said.
"They're desperate, and they're hoping," said McCormack, 46. "And I believe their prayers could be answered."
If the treatment were legally available tomorrow, Kaitlyn McCormack said she'd give it to her son.
"Without a doubt," she said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 'It means a different life for him': York mom's plea for medical marijuana - York Dispatch
Author: Mollie Durkin
Contact: mdurkin@yorkdispatch.com
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn McCormack
Website: York Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - York Dispatch
But after learning of other families' success stories, she opened her mind.
"I was instantly floored. Stunned," said McCormack, 22. "I had no idea that there was something that could control his seizures, possibly."
That possibility would be life-changing for Cameron, who takes his medications through a feeding tube and is weakened by their sedating side effects, she said.
"I think he would show significant improvements in every category if we were able to access medical marijuana," the York Township mom said.
Cameron
McCormack said she had a normal pregnancy, but Cameron was born with microcephaly, which is the likely cause of his epilepsy. His brain is smaller than normal, although doctors say he's capable of becoming self-sufficient, she said.
Cameron was born at York Hospital on April 21, 2013, and he had his first seizure at 3 days old, McCormack said. He has all types of seizures, and he's not immune to the silent kind, which can happen at any time and correlate with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, she said.
He's been on meds since he was 2 weeks old, and he's now on five anti-seizure prescriptions, said McCormack, a 2011 graduate of Dallastown Area High School.
"There are a lot of scary side effects," she said.
Side Effects
Major downsides of certain meds include compromised vision, loss of appetite, addiction and fatigue, McCormack said.
"It's definitely affected his everyday life because he's not awake to learn or do things," she said.
At nearly 2 years old, Cameron has six teeth, and they're short and stubby – another medication causes bleeding and overgrowth of his gums, McCormack said.
He has yet to show his personality because of the pharmaceuticals, she said.
"I think he's too sedated to have many feelings or emotions or pain," McCormack said.
Willing To Try
McCormack said her doctor asked if she'd be comfortable with allowing Cameron to be a candidate for a future study on CBD, the non-psychoactive component in medical marijuana that has helped others with epilepsy.
"I was very excited because from what I've seen, from what I've researched, from the stories I've heard, it means a different life for him," she said, tearing up.
The treatment could help him with his appetite, alertness and general mood, McCormack said as her son slept soundly, just feet from her side.
"When you go through everything we've been through since he was born, you're more willing to try to give your child a better quality of life – or any kind of life besides just laying there," she said.
McCormack said she hopes that, with legal access to the treatment, she'd no longer have to live in fear of losing him.
"Hopefully it comes around before anything severe would happen," she said.
Grandma's Love
For McCormack's mother, Yvonne McCormack, the sheer possibility of helping her grandson is enough reason to make medical marijuana legal.
"If they told me snake oil would cure my grandson, I would go find it," she said.
About half the states in the U.S. have legalized medical marijuana. The treatment is available illegally, but it's expensive and dangerous to get, McCormack said.
"It's a plant-based thing. ... I don't get why Pennsylvania is so far behind," said the grandmother, who moved from York to New York about four years ago.
Many of the parents fighting for legalization don't know what it does because they haven't tried it yet, she said.
"They're desperate, and they're hoping," said McCormack, 46. "And I believe their prayers could be answered."
If the treatment were legally available tomorrow, Kaitlyn McCormack said she'd give it to her son.
"Without a doubt," she said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 'It means a different life for him': York mom's plea for medical marijuana - York Dispatch
Author: Mollie Durkin
Contact: mdurkin@yorkdispatch.com
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn McCormack
Website: York Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic - York Dispatch
