Mason On A Mission

02/22/2026

I kept Mason home from school on Friday because that's too big of a week to go back to such an exciting and energy filled day. I knew he would need the rest and I was right. He climbed up on the couch and went to sleep and that is something this little guy does not do. He's still tired but he's building strength back up from not moving for 4 days. He is back to being loud, laughing, and smiling, though. That's most important to us.

02/20/2026

We busted out of there at 4 today!! We were loaded down! The doctors said that the amount of bacterial growth in his urine was not significant but they were just going to treat him as if it was the UTI causing everything. His fever was high, he was dehydrated, and had a moderate amount of inflammation. All of the other tests they did were negative and said it could have been something viral causing the fever to be as high as it was. He's happy that he got to suck his thumb for the first time since Monday and he'll be able to sleep on his belly for the first time tonight, too. We were loaded down but I managed just fine 😊 He needed to celebrate his discharge with a coffee! I'm just glad he's better and we're home.

02/18/2026

They're keeping him another night. His urine culture didn't grow anything. Pretty much everything else is negative. His potassium was slightly low so they have some in his IV bag. He's finally resting for once since Monday. He's been too terrified to talk, move, smile, laugh... Too terrified to be Mason 😭 They are going to run more tests on him to see if they can find the cause of the crazy fever he's had since Sunday. He has been fever free since last night but it just keep fluctuating to no fever to fever. They may take him off the IV once he wakes up and hopefully eats and drinks more.

02/17/2026

Mason got a fever Sunday morning some time and just hasn't been acting like himself since. I had an appointment for him today to be seen at his pediatrician for a suspected UTI but he looked so bad that I didn't want to wait so I brought him in Monday night. They did the shunt series, an IV, urine sample, and swab to check for other illnesses. They have him on fluids and Rocephin because it does show he has a UTI. It shows inflammation and some other things are a little out of whack because he's dehydrated. This should just be an observation and should be coming home later today.

10/09/2025

This is the type Mason has. He has hydrocephalus, Chiari Malformation Type ll, polymicrogyria, neurogenic bowel, and neurogenic bladder. He used to have vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) which is urine backing up into his kidneys. He has low muscle tone and is delayed in every way. He's still an awesome little guy no matter what. The picture of his opening is in the comments.

It is Day 9 of Spina Bifida Awareness Month!

Today, let's dig into the most severe form of Spina Bifida, Myelomeningocele.

Myelomeningocele is the type of Spina Bifida most often associated with "Spina Bifida," which we are learning through these 31 Days of Awareness posts, is actually a broad spectrum.

In this "open" form, a sac containing both the spinal cord and nerves protrudes through the spinal opening. This causes nerve damage.

As we've already learned, everyone with Spina Bifida is impacted in different ways, but this type of Spina Bifida is associated with moderate to severe physical and intellectual challenges. There are also several secondary conditions commonly associated with this type of Spina Bifida, including neurogenic bowel/bladder, paralysis, reduced sensation, mobility limitations, differences in the brain caused by Hydrocephalus & Chiari II Malformation, tethered cord syndrome, and a latex allergy.

The location of the opening on the spine greatly impacts the severity of myelomeningocele.

We will often hear families say their child "has the mildest form of the most severe type of Spina Bifida."

As you can see, there are a lot of secondary conditions with this type of Spina Bifida, and we will learn more about those throughout the rest of Awareness Month.

09/30/2025

Look at this strong little man! Natalie was pretty impressed with his strength and speed today. I was, too!

09/29/2025

Look at this neat little trick Mason did a couple of weeks ago.

08/28/2025

🎉💥 It’s $3 Thursday – the most legendary day of the week! 💥🎉

Why $3? Because:
☑️ It’s less than your iced coffee
☑️ It’s lucky
☑️ It adds up fast when we all chip in!

We’re rolling forward with our Walk-N-Roll team Mason on a Mission, to make a real impact, and today’s your chance to be part of the movement, literally. With just THREE BUCKS. 💸

👉 Visit sbakwalk.org and search Mason on a Mission and donate $3. Feel like a hero.
Your $3 helps us build a better and brighter future for all those impacted by spina bifida.

Let’s see how far we can roll with a bunch of tiny but mighty donations! 🚶‍♀️🛞🔥

📲 You can also give via Venmo: or PayPal:
🧡 Join our team and share encourage your friends to participate in $3 Thursday to keep the love going!

08/13/2025

Mason had his yearly MRI 2 weeks ago and we got the results last week. Dr. Gump said for someone having spina bifida, his brain looks pretty good. His ventricles are stable so that means his shunt is working. His Chiari Malformation Type ll (CMII) is unchanged but said barely there. That's where the cerebellum is pulled down into the neck and can cause issues with balance and swallowing and a few other things. He also has bifrontal polymicrogyria (BFPP) which is where the front of his brain has too many folds. That causes intellectual and developmental delays.

07/30/2025

Look at this big dude go!