It was a parent’s worst nightmare. What should have been a joyous occasion for Amanda and Mark Adair became a living nightmare, as a scan revealed a problem with their unborn baby. Further tests provided no succour, nor did the medical prognosis with doctors cautioning they did not expect their unborn son to survive pregnancy.
In a decision involving the exercise of both considerable faith and courage Mark and Amanda made the conscious choice to see the pregnancy through to conclusion rather than the medical alternative of termination. That courage and faith was rewarded in June 2011 with the arrival of baby Josh against all the medical odds.
Josh’s earlier scans had revealed he suffered from a rare and incurable disease called Jeune Syndrome which means he has short arms and legs, but more significantly, an unusually narrow ribcage which causes severe breathing problems.
The first month of Josh’s life was spent in an incubator and its fair to say his whole life has consisted of a series of challenges which he, with the help of loving and adoring parents and skilled medical practitioners at Great Ormond Street, has overcome time and time again to defy all the odds. Despite his tender years, Josh has already survived one heart attack brought on by infection as well as a series of difficult operations designed to expand the chest cage. Such operations involve the breaking of his ribs and replacing them with metal or latterly, titanium plates.
Despite his medical condition, Josh is a very happy boy bringing joy and inspiration to all who have the good fortune to meet him. He and his dad are keen Rangers supporters and Josh can often be seen adorned in his favourites colours.
Josh’s condition has now reached the stage where further medical assistance is no longer available in the UK but it is in the US. The estimated cost of this surgery is a staggering 100K but unsurprisingly that has not deterred either Mark or Amanda to get the best treatment available for Josh They have created a Just Donate page for Josh and have already reached 1/5th of their target. Josh’s page can be found here and is both an inspiring and heart wrenching read.
https://www.gofundme.com/joshuaburnsadair
For those of you who have already given from the Rangers family, Mark and Amanda are eternally grateful. All I would ask of you is that you share Josh’s plight with someone who is unaware of it.
For those in our family who were unaware I would ask you to consider a donation via Josh’s Just giving page.
Sometimes our heroes in blue are not necessarily found on the park.
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