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Mom seeks funds for oxygen therapy to treat son with brain damage

Posted at 10:42 PM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-21 22:42:09-04

INDIANAPOLIS – The mother of a boy with severe brain injuries acquired after he was pulled from a pond, hopes she has found treatment for her child – but it’s not covered by insurance.

Dannielle Waggoner said at the age of 2, Rylan Titus wandered out of the house and into a pond while in his father’s care. No one is sure how long he was in the pond, but good samaritans revived him. 

Waggoner said over the past 18 months, Titus has received intense medical care, but she’s raising money to take him to a clinic in New Orleans for oxygen therapy.

The treatment involves a hyperbaric chamber commonly used to treat patients in overcoming carbon monoxide poisoning.

“My son will probably never get to graduate high school, never go to prom, never get to get married,” said Waggoner. “He's basically trapped in a body that won't work, but he knows what's going on which makes it almost worse. Surprisingly, he's a happy child and he's in good spirits 99 percent of the time - so his personality is still there."

Dr. Paul Harch, who gives the treatment, said he can’t guarantee any outcomes, but over the years, they have led to less seizures and an improvement in alertness and cognitive levels.

“He'll still have a good quality of life regardless, so it’s more of making him feel like a normal kid,” said Waggoner, who has a goal of raising $25,000 for treatments.

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