Being a parent is always difficult, but it’s also sure to come with all kinds of unexpected challenges as well. We all hope that our children are born safe and healthy but little children sometimes have some health complications that make life even more challenging. While most pregnancies end up going well, parents Samantha and Kevin Jolicoeur knew something was different about their son Gideon right when he was born.
As it turns out, Gideon was born with a rare issue called Peroxisomal Biogenesis Disorder, leaving him blind and deaf.
As a result of these issues, finding a way to communicate with Gideon was a bit of a challenge.
After they got him home, Gideon would sometimes cry and cry and neither Kevin nor Samantha knew exactly how to calm him down. Still, the family had a breakthrough one day when Kevin decided to try something out—and the couple decided to have the camera rolling. As the video begins, Gideon can be seen crying as his mom introduces the situation:
“Ok, this is Gideon mad and then this is what happens when Daddy does this.”
With that, Kevin blows a loud raspberry on Gideon’s cheek—and the little boy stops crying!
To prove it isn’t just a fluke, the video repeats this process multiple times to show how effective it is.
Needless to say, the video is adorable and it has since garnered almost four million views on YouTube. Still, the family has a much broader imprint online than just this clip. According to the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders, PBD is generally a terminal disorder with life expectancies of only one year.
As a result of the news, the family has been interviewed by People Magazine about their life as parents and their response to Gideon’s illness. In that interview, Samantha explained her reaction to seeing Gideon after he was born:
“The first thing I thought was, ‘My son’s going to die and I can’t do anything . . . there’s really nothing we could do.’ We went home and grieved the imminent death of our son.”
Fortunately, doctors were wrong about Gideon’s chances and today he is five years old!
As part of the process of raising their son and dealing with his illness, the family started a blog called Life With a Happy Heart (which one must assume is a play on the French meaning of their last name). According to Samantha, chronicling the family’s journey online and connecting with others has made the process more bearable:
“Over time as I started to blog and meet more families who had kids like Gideon, I started to realize . . . he might be one of those kids that does live a bit longer than a year . . . the realization that we did have more time with him just made life more sweeter.”
Although some of Gideon’s motor skills and other health functions have begun to decline, the family says that they are cherishing the time they have.
For all the time they have together, Gideon has a great time with his parents as well as his eight-year-old sister Laynie and his 20-month-old brother Josiah. For their part, the family is glad that the world has paid attention to their family through YouTube and their personal blog. On their blog, the family has a defiant message in defense of their son on his fifth birthday:
“There are some who have told us through various outlets that you shouldn’t be here. That because you can’t see or hear, your life is a waste. All because you will never experience all that life has to offer. But your dad and I know that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You have more joy in your whole being than most of us will ever experience in an entire lifetime…even with all 5 of our senses . . . We know your life has great purpose and we find great joy and great responsibility in being your parents.”
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