Hirsch-what??

Hirschsprungs disease occurs when some of the nerve cells that are normally present in the wall of the intestine do not form properly during fetal development.

During digestion, intestinal muscles move food forward in a movement called peristalsis. In order for this movement to occur, special nerve cells called ganglion cells are required. I like to think of ganglion cells as fingers. The fingers are what move food thru your intestines so eventually you can poop. Basically Greysens "fingers" are missing so the food just sits there collecting in one spot, stretching the colon, and causing severe problems.

Eventually, a bacterial infection can develop in the digestive tract (enterocolitis) causing serious problems. Severe worsening of the obstruction can lead to a hole in the bowel (perforation) and severe infection.

All children with Hirschsprung disease require surgical treatment.

Below is a picture of a normal sigmoid colon.

Below is Greysens sigmoid colon. It was stretched to 4+ times the size it should have been. It could have and probably should have burst. God was watching over him:)

My hope in writing this blog is to tell Greysens story, bring awareness, and keep our friends and family updated!