(Toledo News Now) - 20-year-old Corey Schroder is on the road to recovery. He's meeting with his team of doctors and nurses that take care of him at Mercy Children's Hospital in Toledo. Corey's mom Ria couldn't be happier about the progress.
"Everyday is a constant battle for our family," Schroder said.
Corey was born with Mitochrondrial Disease. It's a condition that affects the cells in our body. Corey can't walk, talk and he has 3-4 seizures a month because of it.
"When his temperature dropped to 96.8 and with a baby that's a red flag that something is wrong," Schroder said.
Corey was rushed to the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit where he spent a month hooked up to machines while doctors tried to figue out what was wrong.
"We've gone to Atlanta, we've gone to Cleveland, Akron, and we've gone all over looking for answers," Schroder said.
A switch in medical insurance a few years after Corey was born sent the family to Mercy Hospital where he received his diagnosis.The hospital bgean treating Corey for the seizures.
"We have to fight for everything and this is the one place where it's team corey. their goals are right in line with our goals," Schroder said.
But things only got better for Corey. Ria wanted to changed Corey's treatment after watching a t-v program. But Corey's Dr. Ateeq Hasseb with Mercy Hospital had a plan of his own.
"we wanted to do something Corey would benefit even more from," Hasseb said.
Dr. Hasseb performed v-n-s or Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy on Corey last September. V-N-S consists of an implanted pacemaker-like device.
"it's the size of a quarter and from there, there are small electrodes that wrap around the nerve of the neck," Hasseb said.
The procedure then activates various areas of the brain.
Since his procedure Corey has had only two seizures!
Patients that have the VNS procedure see a 50-percent reduction in seizures over a two-year period.
Ria says Corey is more focused and he's making eye contact with family members.
"You have little triumphs here and there and this is big one. This is huge," Schroder said.
The family is planning to have another procedure in the near future.
