James McCallum, a child from Clearwater, Florida, has a special ailment that has led his parents, Kaitlyn and Tim, to call him “little Ninja Turtle.”
James was born with an unusual skin disease that caused his back to resemble a turtle shell, hence the moniker. During Kaitlyn’s pregnancy, the couple was unaware that their unborn child had this disease. Despite numerous ultrasounds, none of them revealed any indications of what was to happen.
James’s parents saw some odd bumps and scabs on his back shortly after he was born. The illness started to spread over time. Eventually, almost 75% of his back was covered. The “shell” began to interfere with James’ daily existence in addition to being strange to look at. He found it uncomfortable and had trouble falling asleep. Doctors weren’t totally sure what was happening, and his parents were concerned.
James got an MRI to determine what was going on. The purpose of the scan was to ensure that the tumour on his back was not potentially dangerously expanding throughout his body. Fortunately, the findings revealed that the ailment had just affected his skin and had not spread inside of him. James had surgery to remove the tumour on his back, known as a nevus, when he was two and a half months old. His parents were relieved to hear that there were no inside issues following the successful surgery.
Kaitlyn and Tim found a Facebook group for families with comparable illnesses when they were looking for information and support. They gained additional knowledge regarding potential adverse effects from this group, such as James’s potential itching or discomfort during the healing process.
The McCallums located a doctor who began tissue expansion therapy. In order to stretch the skin and gradually restore the damaged area, saline was injected into James’ back.
Although the procedure was challenging and involved weekly injections, James has felt more at ease as a result. James’ parents are hopeful that the “shell” on his back will fall off entirely by summer. Even though there are still some scars, their top priority is to ensure James is content and at ease.
