LA PLATA, Md. – On the day of November 9th, 2022, local resident Jessica Stinnett’s life was forever altered when she received a phone call from her son Seth’s father explaining that he had been critically injured while jumping on a trampoline.
During the incident, he was rendered unconscious and his heart temporarily stopped. His stepfather administered CPR until medics arrived to transport him to a medical facility where they could help him.
Once Seth was stabilized, the doctor shared a rather grim prognosis for Seth’s future. Medical professionals said that he would more than likely be completely paralyzed below the neck for the rest of his life. However, Seth has recently been making progress towards being able to have control over his bodily movements again. With the help of a physical therapist, he is now able to move his feet, wiggle his fingers, and shrug his shoulders through the use of his neck muscles. It is the family’s confident hope that someday he will regain full movement. Mother Jessica Stinnett shares, “He’s stronger than most people I know.”
Born with Methotrexate Syndrome, Seth was labeled as a high-risk injury child from birth. The syndrome causes severe bone deformity. To date, he has been through six operations in total including a skull surgery, spinal surgery, and a cleft foot repair. He has no elbow joints and hip necrosis. When he fell on the trampoline, his C1 and C2 vertebrae were injured when he landed on his neck.
Prior to the injury, Seth was your typical 8-year-old boy who loved playing video games and aspired to someday become a Youtube and TikTok star. His parents got him a leopard gecko for his birthday in 2019 who he loved spending time with. He has always been an incredibly resilient kid with a glass-half-full attitude about life and his differences from others.
Stinnett shares, “He has always been so positive, but he’s having a rough time right now with everything. He says “I’m strong, but I can’t move.” We explain to him that he’s strong inside, which will help him to become stronger on the outside.” Currently, he isn’t able to speak, but he can mouth words. Stinnett has come up with her own systems to help him continue to be able to communicate his thoughts and desires. One of his favorite things right now is talking to his brother Gabriel on the phone.
Currently, Seth is receiving excellent care at a nearby children’s hospital. The nurses have been integral in helping his wounds heal and the PICU doctor is able to explain medical concepts in a very accessible way without causing any confusion from caretakers. The medical professionals have been receptive to Seth’s parents’ feedback for the most part, which has been really helpful.
In the future, the family hopes to be able to welcome Seth back home where he will be more comfortable. However, that means that they will require an adaptive vehicle for him, a hospital bed for their home, and some home modifications to accommodate his unique needs. Stinnett shares, “The amount on the GoFundMe isn’t necessarily our static goal. We’re just so thankful for every little bit we get to help with all of the costs.”
Please consider donating to help Seth and his family during this time of hardship. If you would like to donate, you can visit their GoFundMe here.
gofundme.com/f/seths-medical-and-hospital-bills
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This situation is one of the hardest things we “me and my husband” has ever been through. I can say that his mother was not watching him and should not of let my stepson on the trampoline to begin with, she sees nothing wrong with what she did and we will not let this happen again. We are doing everything we can to make sure he is protected and safe and can be properly cared for. We can not stress enough that we have nothing to do with his mother and are trying to make sure that despite her way of thinking that our son is not punished for what she did. She has no access to any of this go fund me, she made her own which seth will never see. But this is strictly for him and we are so upset that our boy has to suffer because he wasn’t being properly cared for. If you have any questions please feel free to message me on Facebook. It’s a messed up situation and a sad accident that was totally preventable. Theirs a lot to the story but I wanted to make sure people understood that me and his father agree with everyone and are doing everything we can to keep him safe.
There’s 3 sides to every story, yours, theirs and the truth. There is absolutely no reason for you to blast your dirty laundry for the whole world to see. A child was injured and that’s what matters. I pray he heals fully and can live a happy and healthy life.
💯
It’s not dirty laundry it’s the safety of this child! Thankfully we got custody now and can protect him from further harm. The truth is absolutely all there and even though this is a horrible Situation for him and for us it’s also a reminder for others to watch their children! Please do not judge what you do not know. This child has been through HELL and it stops now. His safety is more important than someone’s reputation. If they were worried about it they would not have neglected to care for their child. Period!
Totally agree.
A prime example as to why this country needs universal health care.
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE MEANS CHILDREN LIKE HIM, BORN WITH ISSUES, WOULD BE LEFT IN THE HANDS OF GOVT TO DECIDE HIS FATE. HE IS A MIRACLE FROM GOD. HOWEVER, I PREFER HIS MOM EXPLAIN HIS DISORDER. IVE HAD MANY LONG CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS MOM. WE HAVE NEVER MET AND MANY STATES APART. I HAVE KEPT UP WITH HIS PROGRESS. I PREFER QUESTIONS GO TO MOM.
We have custody of Seth so that he can be protected mentally and physically from the bad choices and lifestyle of others. Seth is now at home and doing great! We have him on a good schedule and though it’s rough trying to fight insurance on medication coverages it is so much better than being in the hospital. Seth has made great progress and will continue to.