6 y.o.’s story highlights Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser
Published: June 7, 2005
One of T.C. Thompson Children’s miracle children has deep ties to Catoosa County.
Jordan Hobgood lives with his mom Rhonda, a Ringgold High School graduate, and his father Daniel Hobgood in Murray County. The now active six-year old had a difficult entrance into this world.
Doctors admitted the seven pound four ounce newborn to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital and diagnosed him with multiple holes in his heart, pneumonia, microcolon and cystic fibrosis.
In his first month he had multiple surgeries and became ventilator dependent.
“He spent 367 days in hospital,” Rhonda said. “We basically lived in the hospital.”
She said the couple alternated spending time with Jordan but both faced their own medical problems. She said Daniel suffers from muscular dystrophy and also has a pacemaker, while she copes with diabetes.
She said out of all of Jordan’s surgeries, allowing the tracheotomy was one of the hardest decisions they made.
According to the hospital, over the next year Jordan endured chronic respiratory failure, congestive heart failure, and slipped into a coma and had to have heart surgery.
Now five years after coming home he continues to go to the hospital for treatment, but has made great strides in overcoming his illnesses.
“(T.C. Thompson’s) is just like home to him,” she said. “He walks around like he owns the place.”
Rhonda said Jordan will begin first grade this August but will continue care at the hospital throughout his childhood.
Jordan is now getting the opportunity to give back to those who helped him. As a poster child for T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, Rhonda said they are appearing at luncheons and other events helping to raise awareness of what the hospital does for families like her own.
In his role he and his parents appeared Sunday, June 5 on the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon on News Channel 9.
Jordan’s grandmother Margaret Weeks of Ringgold said that it is everyone’s support of the hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network that helped to save her little grandson.
“We are thankful for each piece of equipment that was there for Jordan,” she said. “It was supplied by the Children’s Miracle Network. It takes all of us to make the difference.”
Rhonda said Jordan will also step into a similar role for Make-A-Wish this fall when he and his family appears in Atlanta to share his story as a Candlelight Story Ambassador to help raise funds for other Make-A-Wish projects.
The Hobgoods were treated by Make-A-Wish to a trip to Disney World in Orlando last August but the trip was cut short by a hurricane, she said. The family was able to return in December.
Jordan relishes his newfound roles of helping people.
“He loves it; he eats it up,” Rhonda said. “He likes having his picture made.”
When asked what he thinks of all the interesting things being a poster child is allowing him to do Jordan said, “It’s great.”
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