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| Against the odds, Louisburg youth reaches milestone birthday |
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| News | |||
| Written by Aaron Cedeño | |||
| Wednesday, 09 December 2009 09:00 | |||
Tearing himself away from a group of his friends, Jered Corben sprinted over to his mom and skidded to a halt.  “Mom, can we play hide and seek?” the 12-year-old breathlessly asked. Smiling and nodding her acquiescence, Rhonda Studdard watched her son take off again at full speed, proclaiming to his friends that, yes, they could indeed play hide and seek. “He’s a very, very sensitive little young man,” she said softly, with more than a hint of pride coloring her voice. The site of the scene described above was Fox Hall. The event? Jered’s 13th birthday celebration on Saturday. With his friends and family gathered all around to wish him well, Jered opened presents, ate cake and generally ran amok — as most 13-year-olds do. For any adolescent, the 13th birthday marks something of a rite of passage; the transition into that all-important category of “teenager.” But for Jered and his family, when he officially turns 13 tomorrow it will carry with it a different sort of meaning entirely. Jered was born with VATER syndrome, an exceedingly rare set of associated birth defects that affect several of the body’s systems. As a result, Jered has faced a number of challenges in his young life — most requiring highly specialized medical attention. His intestines, for example, developed outside of his body prior to birth, and required immediate surgery upon his delivery. During the course of his life he has become all too familiar with the concept of surgery, by enduring more than 20. It would be a lot for anyone to handle, but Rhonda insists that her son has faced it all with the endless resilience of youth. He goes to school at Broadmoor Elementary, he makes friends and, in general, lives life. “It’s kind of about getting used to it,” Jered said, when asked if the frequent physician visits ever wore on him. But his experiences, she said, have gifted him with a greater sensitivity to the needs of others. In fact, when Rhonda herself developed health problems that permanently affected her eyesight, it was Jered who took on the role of the nurturer. “He was mothering me instead of me mothering him,” Rhonda said. “It should be the other way around. But it’s just the way he acts towards people and how he feels towards them.” Jered, of course, noted that passing the 13-year milestone wouldn’t make him feel any older, and perhaps that stands to reason. He’s already endured more than most people five times his age. Things are a little tough right now for Jered, Rhonda and Jered’s step-father, Clifford, like they are for so many families throughout the United States. It can be hard to deal with during the holidays, Rhonda said, but her son has helped reaffirm what is truly important in life. It’s a lesson she wished she could impart to everyone, as Christmas continues to draw near. As in all things, she said, it’s faith that has helped see them through. “It does get kind of wearing, and you do feel like you’re bogged down with a lot of stuff, but God’s helped me through it,” Rhonda said. “That’s the only way I can do it.” Jered has another surgery lined up on the 21st of this month. It will be the 24th time he has gone under the knife, but no matter how many surgeries he endures, the newly-minted teenager will always look forward to seeing his friends when he comes home. “When I come back, they say ‘Hi Jered’ and all of that,” he said, smiling.
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