Aubrey James Scott, affectionately known as A.J., was an active boy at age 4 until he began falling on a regular basis. He would get knots on his forehead from those falls.
Jerel and Pam Scott, A.J.’s parents, knew something wasn’t right. That was when A.J.’s pre-K teacher, Helen Martin, recommended that A.J. see a physician for tests.
“The doctor ran a series of mobility tests and concluded that A.J. possibly had some form of muscular dystrophy,” said Pam Scott, A.J.’s mother and a tech liaison at Mill Creek Elementary School.
“After inconclusive blood tests, the doctor performed a muscle biopsy on A.J. and determined that he had Duchenne’s syndrome, a form of MD that is life-threatening,” she said. “They told us that it could be either genetic or spontaneous, and is usually diagnosed only in boys around the age of 4. It is discovered in approximately 1,500 boys nationwide each year.”
A.J. began steroid treatments and physical therapy for several years. Those were intended to slow down the progression of the disease, which eventually deteriorates muscle mass throughout the body.
Currently, A.J. is a sixth-grade student at Southeast Bulloch Middle School. He uses a wheelchair after falling last November and breaking his ankle, a clear sign of the weakness taking over his body.
“When A.J.’s ankle cast finally came off, A.J. just seemed to give up trying to walk again,” said his father, Jerel, who is employed at Statesboro Floor Covering. “He was more comfortable with his wheelchair, it seemed. The disease has progressed and we’re all aware of where A.J. is right now. It doesn’t get any better.”
A.J.’s prognosis is day to day. There is currently no cure for Duchenne’s. There is a possibility that A.J. could begin water therapy locally in the near future. The family continues to take A.J. for regular check-ups at both the Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta and to a Duchenne expert in Columbus, Ohio.
“Knowing the prognosis, I put A.J.’s name on the Make-A-Wish Foundation list,” Pam said. “That was last November, and we knew that it would be at least three years before A.J. could be selected. We were pleasantly surprised when we were contacted shortly after Christmas last year with the good news of his selection.”
A.J.’s wish was to visit his favorite team, the Florida State Seminoles, in Tallahassee. The Make-a-Wish Foundation did one better in making it possible for the entire family of five to fly to Miami for the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl. There, they watched Florida State beat Northern Illinois 31-10.
A.J. and the family met all of the FSU players, coaches and Orange Bowl representatives. He visited the locker room and met all of his favorite players before and after the game, and even met and talked with his all-time favorite player, Chris Thompson, a running back now with the Washington Redskins in the NFL.
“Everybody treated A.J. like a rock star,” said Jerel Scott. “We were amazed at the extent the foundation took to make A.J.’s dream come true.”
A.J. was lavished with an autographed football by all of the Seminoles players, 3X-size game jerseys worn by players and other game memorabilia, which now adorns his bedroom at home.
“I even got to pet ‘Renegade,’ the FSU mascot horse,” said A.J. “I was very excited and happy to be there.”
Following the game, A.J. was met in the breezeway of the stadium by all of the players, who patted him on the head and shoulders. With teary and thankful eyes, the family stood by, speechless.
A wish had been fulfilled, and a child had been blessed.