Brain procedure goes well for Valley boy

Remember Aidan Grasmick? He’s the 12-year-old Palmer boy who suffers from severe generalized dystonia, a rare neurological disease that causes painful muscle contraction. We told the story of Aidan and his family in the Frontiersman’s Feb. 23 edition.

Need a refresher? Find the story here: www.frontiersman.com/articles/2010/02/22/valley_life/doc4b835a80199bb678637711.txt.

Aidan and his mother, Sharry, have been in Pittsburgh since last September preparing him for a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation. The hope is that by electrically stimulating parts of his brain, Aidan can be relieved of much of the pain he suffers from now.

I’m pleased to report that Aidan had the procedure this past week and, so far, has been responding well.

I received an e-mail from Aidan’s grandmother, Patricia Fisher, with the update. She reports that the surgery “went well” and “lasted about 10 to 11 hours.” Although it is still too early to know how effective the surgery will be — “it can take up to two weeks or longer for the results to be seen,” she says — Aidan pulled through “beautifully.”

What hopeful news.

It’s stories like Aidan’s that continue to motivate even the most “grizzled” of journalists. In 20-some years of reporting news and features, it’s the Aidans that stand out as the most meaningful.

Also inspiring has been the community response to our print edition with Aidan’s story. Included was a coloring page of Harry Potter (one of his favorite characters) along with space for a message of hope for the youngster. So far, several have taken the time to color the picture and pen a short note — even one from Palmer Mayor John Combs (who would’ve thought one of our mayors could have such artistic talent!).

If you missed it, drop by the Frontiersman office and get a copy of the Feb. 23 newspaper, or just have the coloring page photocopied, and return it to us at: Make Aidan’s Day, P.O. Box 873509, Wasilla, AK 99687. I’ll make sure Aidan gets all your cards and messages.

—Greg Johnson