Landon settles in at home
By Brandy Nance
Originally published 02:43 p.m., June 4, 2007
Updated 02:43 p.m., June 4, 2007
Landon Dody, an Emporia infant born with medical problems, is enjoying being back home. Dody has never known home until now, having spent most of his young life in the hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses.
Landon, the son of Blythe and Aron Dody, was born in January with an ileum atresia, which is a blockage in his small intestine. The blockage occurred early during Blythe Dody’s pregnancy and it killed a small part of Landon’s intestine. Landon had to have surgery to remove a portion of his small intestine.
Landon has been home for three weeks and his parents say he’s a different baby.
“He is so happy,” Blythe Dody said. “He laughs. He is not as on edge and sleeps through the night. He really loves all his toys.”
The Dodys are adjusting to life at home without a steady stream of doctors and nurses.
“He’s not getting woken up in the middle of the night for bottles and tests,” Aron Dody said.
Landon is on six medications three times a day and enzymes that are administered in his bottle and through his feeding tube, which pumps a steady stream of formula directly into Landon’s stomach. Home health comes into the Dody home once a week to check Landon’s Hickman line, which is a line directly to his heart used to administer medications.
The Dodys said they are grateful for all the support they have received from the community.
“Once again, Emporia rocks,” Blythe Dody said.
Aron Dody agrees.
“We definitely wouldn’t be in this state of mind right now without all the support,” he said.
• To donate to the family send checks made out to the “Landon Dody Fund” at the Emporia State University Federal Credit Union.
On the Net:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/landondody