Name: Byron Walker

Diagnosis: Appendicitis and Severe Infection

     Byron’s mom took him home from school with a stomach ache. School officials thought he probably had some bad milk, but over the next few days his symptoms kept getting worse.
      Over-the-counter drugs were not helping Byron’s pain, so his mom took him to the emergency room at Shands Jacksonville. While his mom was still filling out registration forms, nurses realized how serious Byron’s condition was. They immediately took him back for testing.
      Doctors determined that Byron had appendicitis and scheduled him for surgery the next morning. After the operation, doctors told Byron’s parents he had developed one of the worst infections they had ever seen.
      Byron stayed in the hospital for the next ten days. He was on a liquid diet and lost ten pounds. Byron proved that he wasn’t going to let his hospital stay stop him from moving on. Even with all the school he missed, Byron kept his grades up and brought home a perfect report card.

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