ROANOKE, Va. – Updated Story:
Twenty brain surgeries in two years - it’s something most people couldn’t imagine.
But for two-year-old Luke Shaffer, it’s his reality.
“He is as tough as tough can be. And he goes through it like a champ,” Luke’s mom Kim said.
10 News first met Luke and his mom Kim last year and learned that Luke was born at only 23 weeks gestation.
Carilion saved his life then, and has done it countless times since.
“Since he was born, I had this extraordinary faith that God was going to take care of him. People thought I was delusional like, ‘I don’t think she really knows what’s going on,’ and I’m like no. I know that if he doesn’t have the surgery, it will kill him,” Kim said.
Luke has an extremely rare form of hydrocephalus - which means there’s a ton of extra fluid and pressure on his brain.
And to relieve that pressure - he has a shunt in his brain. The problem? It keeps failing.
“His shunts fail or malfunction. He’s also had several shunt infections. There’s not really anything we can do to prevent them. He’s just at risk for infection every time they go in there and open him up,” she said.
This summer has been the most time he’s spent in the hospital since he was in the NICU.
55 days and ten surgeries. The latest of which was Monday night.
And every time, Kim holds her breath.
“You never expect to walk into the hospital and walk out without your child. This is one of my biggest fears. And there have been several deaths this summer. So it’s hard as a mom to see other kids dying and know that very well could be your child,” she said.
And while Luke has his medication to help him through - Kim has her own version.
“How are you getting through these days?” 10 News Reporter Abbie Coleman asked.
“I told you last time - Jesus, meds and chocolate,” Kim said.
All of the time in the hospital this summer has put a financial strain on their family - you can find a GoFundMe here if you’d like to help.
Original Story:
We first told you about Carilion’s miracle baby Luke Shaffer last year.
He was born at only 23 weeks old, something his mom Kim never imagined.
“When you get pregnant, you just don’t think that anything’s going to happen. You’re just going to go and have a baby in 40 weeks,” Kim said.
Carilion saved his life that day, something Kim said they’d done time and time again.
“They saved my baby, so we are forever thankful. And they’ve repeatedly saved his life since then,” she said.
Luke has overcome challenge after challenge, but he’s not done yet.
In his two years of life, he’s had close to 20 brain surgeries relating to the failure of a shunt in his brain. His latest surgery was Monday night.
Since June, Luke and his family have spent close to 50 days inpatient at Carilion.
Tonight on 10 News at 6, we’re going to the hospital to check in on Luke and his family to see how they are persevering through surgery after surgery.
There is currently a GoFundMe set up to help with medical expenses for the Shaffer family. If you would like to donate, you can find that link here.