After all of the testing and an MRI that was moved forward, we finally have a diagnosis for sweet Jude. 

Jude has been diagnosed with Incomplete Hippocampal Inversion, and unless you know how to read medical journals, it's really hard to understand what this diagnosis means. So I have asked Microsoft Copilot to explain it to us like we are 10 years old:

Imagine your brain is like a big puzzle, and one of the pieces in that puzzle is called the hippocampus. It’s a special part of your brain that helps you remember things, like where you live or your favorite ice cream flavor.

Now, sometimes during the development of our brains, this hippocampus doesn’t flip over properly. It’s like when you’re making a pancake, and it doesn’t flip all the way, so one side stays a bit round and not flat. In the case of the hippocampus, it doesn’t do its usual flip, and it ends up looking more rounded and vertical than it should.

Scientists call this incomplete hippocampal inversion. It’s a fancy way of saying that the hippocampus didn’t turn the right way during brain growth. When this happens, it can sometimes lead to a condition called epilepsy, which affects how our brain works.

So, in simple words: Incomplete hippocampal inversion is like having a wonky puzzle piece in your brain, and it might cause some memory and thinking challenges.

What does this mean from here?

Incomplete Hippocampal Inversion is irreparable and will continue to impact Jude's life for the rest of his life. The best life Elizabeth and Tyler can give to Jude involves managing his seizures through medication and regular/recurring monitoring with EEGs and MRIs through the help of his neurologist. 

Unfortunately, this also means that the medical bills and demand on their time to sort out the best care for Jude is still very pressing. 

If you're able to donate funds, a meal, or share this Support Now page out with your community, it would help their sweet family tremendously as they adjust to their new normal.