Tri-City Herald Logo

Kennewick's baby Patrick recovering after brain surgery | Tri-City Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Hanford
    • Northwest
    • Nation & World
    • Obituary Listings
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Health
    • Weird
    • Photos
    • Weather
    • Videos
    • Sports
    • Local Sports
    • Preps
    • Prep Countdown
    • Seattle Seahawks
    • Seattle Mariners
    • Tri-City Americans
    • Tri-City Dust Devils
    • Tri-Cities Fever
    • Hydros
    • Photos
    • Outdoors
    • Blogs
    • College
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLS
    • Golf
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Public Records
    • National Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Local Arts
    • Celebrity
    • Mr. Movie
    • Movie Times
    • Movie News
    • Music News
    • Calendar
    • Submit Event
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Contests
    • Living
    • Food & Wine
    • Wine Press NW
    • Antique Appraisals
    • Health & Science
    • Home & Garden
    • Light Notes
    • Religion
    • Spiritual Life
    • Births
    • Engagements
    • Weddings
    • Anniversaries
    • Opinion
    • Letters
    • Editorials
    • National
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit Letter
    • Guest Columnists
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Local

Kennewick's baby Patrick recovering after brain surgery

By Kristi Pihl, Tri-City Herald

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 20, 2011 12:00 AM

Just 15 days before his first birthday, Patrick Murphy had the brain surgery his parents say was needed to save his life.

On Friday, Patrick seemed to be recovering well from the surgery that is supposed to stop the seizures that constantly wracked his little body.

His parents, Shawn and Suzie Murphy of Kennewick, decided to have the procedure at Seattle Children's Hospital after they were unable to raise enough money to have a specialist in Arizona perform the surgery.

Their son was born Sept. 2, 2010, with a birth defect called cortical dysplasia. Part of his brain didn't develop properly in the womb, causing him to have daily seizures.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Left unchecked, the seizures could damage other parts of his brain.

Tests in July showed that Patrick's brain was continuously suffering from spasms, some that were masked by his skull, his dad said in a phone interview from Seattle.

His parents started noticing the seizures when he was just 2 months old. At 9 months, Patrick's legs and arms were lying limp and his motor skill development lagged behind other children his age.

The only long-term solution was to remove the abnormal portion of his brain, said specialists.

The four-hour surgery started at 10 a.m. Thursday. And surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Ojemann told his parents that it was a good sign that Patrick didn't bleed too much and needed only about half a pint of blood.

After the lesion was removed, sensors showed all his brain functions at normal, said his father.

Now, Patrick is moving and looking around quite a bit, despite some pain, his dad said. It's early to tell though, because Ojemann told his parents that some children will do well and then decline after surgery.

"He's just been trying to eat as much as he can," Shawn Murphy said.

It's not clear how long Patrick will have to stay at the hospital.

"We want to make sure that he's not in pain and make sure there's not a relapse," his dad said.

Patrick's siblings, Daniel 9, Caitlin, 8, Sarah, 6, and Elizabeth, 4, have been handling it well, he said.

Time will tell how the surgery will improve Patrick's delayed development.

"It's been a long road," Murphy said.

He said they plan to have Patrick work with the Children's Developmental Center in Richland. He has an appointment Sept. 1, the day before he turns 1.

The Murphys wanted Patrick's surgery to be done at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona, but their insurance, Group Health, wouldn't cover it. The company said it would cover the surgery if it was done in its Washington network of providers.

Murphy said they were in Arizona, prepping for the surgery, when the Arizona hospital's administration told them that they need to have $200,000 to continue. They didn't have it.

So Patrick had the surgery at Children's Hospital instead.

Still, the Murphys aren't completely sure Group Health will cover the Seattle surgery's costs because they have yet to receive a letter from the insurance company.

So donations are still needed, and two more community events are planned to help.

Murphy said they appreciate all the support the community has given them, from holding bake sales and spaghetti feeds to buying the family groceries.

"It's just been phenomenal the amount of support that the Tri-Cities community has given us," he said.

Today, a yard sale is planned starting at 7 a.m. at 8011 Madeira Drive in Pasco to benefit Patrick.

And on Aug. 28, the Knights of Columbus has organized a spaghetti feed from 4 to 7 p.m. at Dillon Hall at St. Joseph's Church, 520 S. Garfield St., Kennewick.

Donations also can be made through PayPal at www.savebabypatrick.com or by donation to the "Patrick Murphy" account at Hapo Community Credit Union.

  Comments  

Videos

These two spots could be the future location for the Tri-Cities Public Market

Police investigate shooting in Richland and surround another home in connection

View More Video

Trending Stories

Kennewick teen’s unsolved murder among 1,200 youth deaths nationwide

February 16, 2019 04:49 PM

From ‘climbing the walls’ to doing ‘a happy dance,’ Tri-Citians rate snow response

February 16, 2019 02:51 PM

Free streaming movie system comes to Tri-Cities libraries

February 16, 2019 01:39 PM

Pasco’s ousted needle exchange program needs a new home so it can save lives

February 16, 2019 02:04 PM

Increased avalanche danger in Cascades

February 16, 2019 12:51 PM

Read Next

A Tri-Cities public market would be a winner, but where best to put it bedevils Pasco
Video media Created with Sketch.

Local

A Tri-Cities public market would be a winner, but where best to put it bedevils Pasco

By Wendy Culverwell

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2019 06:37 PM

The Tri-Cities Public Market is economically feasible in Pasco. But even the consultant hired to study the idea is hard pressed to say if it should be in downtown or beside the Columbia River near the cable bridge.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LOCAL

This food pantry in Finley will help poor rural community

Local

This food pantry in Finley will help poor rural community

February 17, 2019 06:32 PM
15 restaurants fail latest Tri-Cities inspections

Local

15 restaurants fail latest Tri-Cities inspections

February 17, 2019 06:19 PM
Basketball playoff berths still up for grabs Monday in the Tri-Cities

High School Basketball

Basketball playoff berths still up for grabs Monday in the Tri-Cities

February 17, 2019 06:08 PM
Learn about materials being designed in Richland that will make your life better

Local

Learn about materials being designed in Richland that will make your life better

February 17, 2019 01:26 PM
From ‘climbing the walls’ to doing ‘a happy dance,’ Tri-Citians rate snow response

Local

From ‘climbing the walls’ to doing ‘a happy dance,’ Tri-Citians rate snow response

February 16, 2019 02:51 PM
Free streaming movie system comes to Tri-Cities libraries

Local

Free streaming movie system comes to Tri-Cities libraries

February 16, 2019 01:39 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Tri-City Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Contact Us
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story