Courtesy photo
A poker run is scheduled for Saturday to raise money to help make the home of Travis Isom more functional for the needs of the Hawthorne teen.

On Sept. 5, 2002, Carlos and Jennifer Isom welcomed their second child into the world, a little boy to join big sister, Taylor. They named him Travis.

No signs of the pregnancy would prepare the parents for what began shortly after his arrival.

Shortly after birth, Travis began to have seizures. The seizures were undiagnosed and the Isom’s took what was given to them and worked at making Travis’ life the best he could have.

A lover of water – his parents take him to the pool like any other child; a lover of trees – his parents take him out into the hills to sit under the pinyon’s where he can touch the needles. This young man loves outdoor lights, cartoons and going for truck rides.

The Isom’s were unsure what was wrong with Travis for so many years until recently when a diagnosis of KCNQ2 Epileptic Encephalopathy was diagnosed. The family finally had some answers.

KCNQ2 Epileptic Encephalopathy begins with seizures in the first weeks of a child’s life. The seizures appear as a stiffening of the child’s body with jerking movement and changes in breathing and heart rate. Many seizures a day is common and KCNQ2 is difficult to treat.

The disorder is normally described as a syndrome and is a benign familial neonatal service in characterization. The gene that is altered in children such as Travis is the KCNQ2E which channels potassium to the brain. At some point, a mutation to that gene happens.

The poker run being held on Oct. 7 will help the Isom family to remodel their home bathroom and his bedroom to be a more functional area where Carlos and Jennifer can easily bath and tend to their teenage son. A GoFundMe page estimates the cost of this remodel to be approximately $42,700.

On the GoFundMe page, Jennifer states that the first item of the list would be to “reconfigure/remodel his bedroom: adding larger entry with pocket doors to accommodate his larger wheelchair and bypass the narrow hallway altogether, relocate his closet, open wall between his room and spare room adding floor space for wheelchair access and adding an accessible bathroom with a roll in shower and tub with a lift…”

If you visit KCNQ2cure.org, you will see Travis’ picture listed as one of the children who deals with this syndrome each and every day. You can also visit Jacksarmy.org or log onto GoFundMe and search “Travis needs a bathroom”.

Soon, Travis will be going to Sacramento to the “Wishing Well” where he will make his dream come true. The poker run begins this Saturday at 9 a.m. leaving from the V.F.W. on A Street. See the advertisement listed in this week’s Independent-News.