Life under the scalpel
Clayton’s simple wish for a future without surgery
CLAYTON Barrow has had more than 20 surgeries since he was born — but finally an end to his hospital stays is clearly in sight.
The 18-year-old, of Bagdad, has a rare genetic disorder known as Apert syndrome, which causes the bones of the skull to fuse together too early.
Clayton experiences problems with his teeth and speech because of the abnormal shape of his face and skull bones. His fingers and toes are also fused together.
He has been travelling back and forth to Melbourne since he was just nine months old for countless operations, tests and checkups.
But on Tuesday, Clayton will go under the knife at the Royal Children’s Hospital for his final major surgery, where doctors will spend six to eight hours realigning his jaw and reconstructing parts of his face.
“I’m a bit nervous but excited,” he said last night.
“It will make a big difference to my life. I’ll be able to talk better, eat better and fit into society better.”
The Bagdad Community Club is hosting a sausage sizzle, raffles and a silent auction from 5.30pm tonight to raise money so Clayton’s mum, dad and three brothers can be by his side when he wakes.
Mum Jennifer Barrow, 42, labelled the generosity shown by locals so far as “overwhelming”.
“Only once ever have we gone to Melbourne as a family, so this means the world,” Mrs Barrow said.
“If there’s any hiccups along the way, knowing we will be there for each other makes a huge difference.
“We all want to be there to support him and share it together. It’s always been one operation after the other, but following this surgery he should almost be finished.”
Mrs Barrow said Clayton would likely remain in hospital for three to four days before being released.
She described Clayton’s outlook on life as “inspiring”.
“Having this operation will help him move forward, give him more confidence and allow him to be happy with his appearance,” Mrs Barrow said.
The entry fee to the fundraising event is a gold coin donation.