Area supports child, parents at blood drive

By NATALIA JONES

When Landon Tipps, 3, first arrived at Valley View Elementary School Sunday morning, his immediate reaction was to run to his classroom door and peek inside.

However, Landon wasn’t going to school that day. Instead, Landon was joined by his family and friends, both old and new, who came to donate blood for his upcoming surgeries.

Thanks to Valley View ISD and Texoma Regional Blood Center, a blood drive was held Sunday, Oct. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. to help get the much needed blood for Landon’s surgeries.

When Landon was 13-months old he started having siezures. After several tests, Landon’s mother, Wendi Tipps, was told her son had epilepsy. Although Landon currently has a vagus nerve stimulator implanted in his chest to help prevent the seizures, he still has them daily.

On Oct. 28, Landon will undergo his first brain surgery which will remove a section of his skull so that doctors can observe his brain activity. The next surgery will follow either on Oct. 30 or Oct. 31, depending on how well Landon responses to the first surgery.

If the doctors discover Landon has a brain defect and that a part of his brain was never viable, then that will be good news, explained Wendi Tipps. The doctors can then remove that part of the brain and thus elimate the epilepsy. However, if doctors discover that the part of his brain which causes the seizures was viable at one point, then it will be much more difficult to allevate the seizures.

Landon has two siblings; his older brother Houston, 8, and younger sister Addison who is 18 months. Wendi Tipps said seeing her three children together is both heart warming and heart breaking.

“Houston and Landon share room and Houston even has his own magnet for when Landon has a seizure,” said Wendi Tipps.

In order to activate the vagus nerve stimulator implanted in Landon’s chest, a magnic must be used, she explained.

“He’s an awesome big brother and is always there to help Landon,” said Wendi Tipps.

But since the device does not help prevent the seizures, added Wendi Tripp, Landon’s development has suffered.

“It’s hard because Landon will be doing so well and is just talk-talk-talking, and then after he has a seizure he won’t talk for days,” said Wendi Tipps. “Developmentally he’s where a 14-month would be and now my 18-month is starting to pass him up and it’s hard to see because he’s supposed to be her big brother.”

While Wendi Tipps said it is hard to always remain positive about Landon’s situation, she finds her strength through him.

“He’s just a joy to be around,” said Wendi Tipps. “Sometimes I think if he didn’t have these problems, he’d might just be a grouchy little 3-year-old but he’s not.”

Landon’s family served as his cheerleaders during the blood drive and were decked out in Landon’s Will T-shirts which included a photo of Landon and a quote that read, “The will to seize the difference.”

Throughout the day, blood donations were given by people from Valley View, Gainesville, Sherman, Era, Denton, Krum, Pilot Point, Lake Kiowa and several more places.

Although Landon only needs four units for both surgeries, Wendi Tipps said the donations would help eliminate any extra expense in case he needed more. Overall, Landon’s surgeries will cost the family anywhere from a quarter to half a million dollars. This extra blood will be in Landon’s name for a year, and then what is not used will be donated by the family to the blood bank.

“I greatly apprieciate everybody who came out because it’s been a very rough 2 years for our family and the support has been awesome,” said Wendi Tipps.

In hopes of helping spread the word about epilepsy, Wendi Tipps and her mother, Kathi Kirby, have started an Epilepsy Support Group based in north Texas. A benefit account has also been set up in Landon Tipps’ name at the First State Bank where donations can be made towards his medical expenses. To learn more, please call 665-1711.