Running out of options

By NATALIA JONES

As far as Courtney Quinones was concerned, everything with her 6 month-old son, Julien, seemed normal.

Although he was a big baby, weighing 9 pounds, 3 ounces at birth, Courtney Quinones said she had a fairly easy pregnancy with her second child.

“He was really healthy and I had no problems during the pregnancy,” said Courtney Quinones.

But when Julien was 3 months-old, he kept having ear infections. During a doctor’s visit, Courtney Quinones said she was taken by surprise when a doctor asked if her son was seeing a specialist.

“One of the doctors asked me if he was seeing a specialist for his skull and I thought, ‘What’s wrong with his skull?,’” said Courtney Quinones.

However when a pediatric specialist in Gainesville diagnosed Julien with plagiocephaly, Courtney Quinones said she and her husband, Dominic, began to realize that not everything with Julien was normal afterall.

At Scottish Rite Hospital for children, in Dallas, doctors confirmed the diagnosis and told the parents that Julien had plagiocephaly with torticollis.

“Plagiocephaly, basically it’s a big word for an asymmetrical head,” said Courtney Quinones. “His diagnosis basically means he has limited movement on the left side of his body and that his muscles are not formed well.”

Since Julien was such a big baby, Courtney Quinones explained, he was crammed inside of her womb in such a way that caused the condition.

“When you look at his face, you can kind of see how the left side has pretty much stopped growing,” said Courtney Quinones. “It looks like the right side is over compensating because his eye and ear are bigger, but really that’s where this side (the left side) is supposed to be.”

To remedy Julien’s condition, Courtney Quinones said, he needs a corrective helmet to help is face and skull reform.

Julien would have to wear the helmet three to five months and will also need physical therapy to strengthen the left side of his body.

Although Julien is not currently at risk, if his condition worsens there is a possibility that his skull will put pressure on his brain, said Dominic Quinones.

In total, Courtney Quinones said treatment for Julien will cost the family between $4,000-$5,000.

At first, however, she said she was not concerned about the hefty medical bill because she had Medicaid for Julien which covered most of her expenses during pregnancy.

To add to her confidence in the healthcare program, Courtney Quinones said doctors assured her Julien would be covered.

“They said, ‘No problem. Don’t worry about it. Medicaid never denies it,’” said Courtney Quinones.

But after measuring Julien’s skull, the Quinones were told Julien’s measurements were 8.6 mm off from what Medicaid would cover.

“I was shocked because when I was pregnant with him, we didn’t come out of pocket at all,” said Courtney Quinones. “I was even hospitalized for a few fainting spells, but they covered everything.”

To make matters worse, Dominic Quinones lost his a job at North Texas Nissan in Corinth a week before Christmas.

Prior to that, Courtney Quinones said she took a minimum wage job with Gainesville Independent School District so she could be home with Julien and big brother, Kennedy, 11.

Although the pay was less, she said she felt it was a perfect match because of the hours. However now that Dominic Quinones is out of a job, she is faced with caring for three other people while only making $6.50 an hour.

Meanwhile, the time frame for Julien to receive a corrective helmet is dwindling, added Courtney Quinones. While they were told Julien’s prescription for the helmet would be open for three months, if he does not receive treatment by 18 months or after his soft spot has grown in, then there will be no recourse.

Then the only other option for Julien would be to have facial reconstruction surgery which may include placing plates, said Courtney Quinones.

“He’s such a fun, happy baby and I can see him, you know, playing sports,” said Courtney Quinones. “But if it does come down to facial surgery, we don’t know what will end up happening or if he’ll even have a normal childhood.”

Both Courtney Quinones and her older son, Kennedy, are originally from New Hampshire. They moved to Texas last summer and then moved to Gainesville in October after she married Dominic.

Dominic Quinones is also fairly new to the area, originating in California.

Although the family has set up a Julien Quinones Fund with First State Bank, they are still new to the area and don’t know many local people to ask for help. If you would like to help Julien, donations can be accepted via mail at: First State Bank, P.O. Box 10, Gainesville, TX 76240 or by visiting a local branch near you.

“Everybody we know is laid off right now or having tough times, but if everybody could just give a little then we could get it for Julien,” said Courtney Quinones.