At four years old, Jayden Lomas is like every other boy his age. He loves playing ball and looks up to his big brother, Tyler. But what makes Jayden so special is how far he has come in so short a time. At birth, Jayden suffered a stroke.
Doctors told his parents, Sean and Marcela Lomas, that there was a fifty percent chance that Jayden would not be able to walk or talk. Since then, he has already surpassed what healthcare professionals thought possible.
Because of the stroke, Jayden suffers from a form of cerebral palsy called hemiplegia, which is a neurological condition that weakens one side of the body. The stroke occurred on the left side of Jayden?s brain, — the side that controls his speech.
Jayden?s parents knew that early intervention and therapy were important. After having in-home therapy and travelling to other facilities for treatment, they enrolled Jayden in speech, physical, and occupational therapy at McLeod Seacoast in January of 2013, when he was three years old. He and his family have felt right at home from the beginning.
Calvin Gilmore has partnered with The Children?s Miracle Network to kick off a fundraising drive at The Calvin Gilmore Theater, and your ticket purchase this Christmas season will help make miracles happen for children like Jayden. Our goal is to raise as much as possible to help provide these children with the care they need, so we have arranged several ways to contribute. On the morning of November 1, Santa Claus himself will land here at the theater in the Children’s Miracle Network hot air balloon and declare the season officially open and offer balloon rides, all proceeds of the balloon rides will go directly to CMN. In addition, throughout the Christmas season, customers at the theater will have the opportunity to purchase paper balloons for $1 each to help us decorate a special CMN tree.
Finally, Gilmore is dedicating two performances to CMN with $5 of every ticket purchased at those events going directly to CMN. Dedicated performance dates are Nov.21 at 7pm and Jan.1 at 7pm. No matter what night you attend, your ticket purchase will support our local CMN hospital in Florence, McLeod Children’s Hospital, specializing in NICU services. Christmas is a season of giving, please help us make a difference for these children.
To read more about Jayden’s story please click here.
For more information about Children’s Miracle Network and the McLeod Children’s Hospital please click here.
For more information about The Carolina Opry Christmas Special please click here.
To book your seats now please click here.