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Belle River boy beats catastrophic illness and has dream come true

Writer's picture: ESSEX FREE PRESSESSEX FREE PRESS



by Greg Layson

For the most part, Dekson Thibert seems like any other eight-year-old boy.

He donned his Pokemon toque, snow pants, and a smile and hugged his mom as he arrived home from St. William Catholic Elementary School in Belle River on January 17.

But he is — and the day was — different.

Thibert has been battling — and beating — West syndrome, which causes infantile spasms that typically have clusters of short seizures. He was diagnosed with the disease when he was about 18-months-old.

  His mother called it a "catastrophic form of childhood epilepsy."

Last week, shortly after a recent surgery that brought Thibert some much-needed relief from the disease, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Because West syndrome is considered a critical illness, it grants Thibert the opportunity to have a Make-A-Wish granted to him.

Thibert, who is a smiling ball of energy, has always wanted to be a firefighter. So, as part of the process, Lakeshore Fire & Rescue gave him a lift home, escorted by members of the Lakeshore OPP detachment. Lights and sirens in full effect, of course.

“I was excited,” he said.

He was met in his driveway by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and members of the OPP and Lakeshore fire department.

The first responders gave Thibert a surprise gift box filled with toys before helping make the Disney announcement official.

OPP Community Safety/Services Officer Wendy Desjardins held a tablet as Thibert, his brother, Duke, and parents, Jeff and Katelynn, watched a promotional Disney video while telling him the news he was headed to the Magic Kingdom in February.

“He’s gone through a lot most of his life. This is just an opportunity to have something good come out of this,” Katelynn Thibert said.

She said Dekson’s medical journey started with “fear and uncertainty, for sure.” And now, she feels “just gratitude at this point.”

"He was able to get to a point in his medical journey that we can start celebrating instead of wondering,” she said. “I think for Dekson, hopefully, this is the end of the book, instead of the end of the chapter.”

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