On June 14, Devyn Emmons will graduate from high school marking a significant milestone for him. Throughout his life, Devyn has had 54 surgeries and procedures to treat gastroschisis and arthrogryposis.
In the realm of numbers, each one tells a story. For 18-year-old Devyn Emmons, the number “54” carries some weight because it signifies the number of surgeries and procedures he’s been through over the last 18 years.
Devyn’s journey began on October 3, 2005, when he went into fetal distress and had to be delivered 4 months early. He was born with a condition called gastroschisis, where the organs protrude through a hole in the abdominal wall.
His mom Crystal remembers, “Due to him being born early via emergency C-section, physicians used 13 rolls of plastic wrap to protect his organs during his transfer to Akron Children’s.”
During his time in the NICU, Devyn was later diagnosed with arthrogryposis, a congenital issue where joints are stuck in one position because the muscles around the joints are thin, weak, stiff or missing.
Devyn enjoyed running cross country this past fall and playing varsity tennis this spring for his home school, Norwalk High School. His favorite high school memory is winning the first match in his high school’s tennis sectionals tournament in Toledo this May.
For the first few years of his life, Devyn continued to have gastrointestinal surgeries to help minimize problems. He also had more than a dozen surgeries and castings to increase mobility in his arms and to correct his 2 clubbed feet.
Surgery at the age of 6 would improve Devyn’s quality of life.
“He was born with his arms completely straight which caused mobility issues,” says Crystal. “The surgery lengthened his elbow tendon, so his arms now bend which allowed him to be able to play tennis, pitch a baseball, swing a bat and feed himself.”
High school brought its own set of challenges, from navigating online learning during a pandemic to coping with the death of his beloved therapy dog, Kite.
Despite those challenges, Devyn will graduate from Gateway Online Academy of Ohio on June 14. As graduation approaches, Devyn reflects on some of his favorite high school moments – not surprisingly, most of them involve sports!
“I enjoyed running cross country this past fall and playing varsity tennis this spring for my home school, Norwalk High School,” he says.
Devyn plans to take a gap year following high school, contemplating a future in real estate or coaching college baseball. His advice to others facing adversity echoes his own journey – dedication, determination, and the unwavering belief that nothing is impossible.
One of his favorite memories is winning the SBC (Sandusky Bay Conference) for soccer and tennis his junior year. And, more recently, on May 9, he won the first match in his high school’s tennis sectionals tournament in Toledo.
Devyn plans to take a gap year following high school, contemplating a future in real estate or coaching college baseball. His advice to others facing adversity echoes his own journey – dedication, determination, and the unwavering belief that nothing is impossible.
“Look at your options. Anything can happen,” he says. “Love what you do best and find the opportunities to do them.”
For Devyn and Crystal, their strong faith has been their anchor through the tough times, and they will lean on it again as Devyn prepares for another surgery. Although, Devyn hasn’t been in a hurry to have the surgery because he knows it means he’ll be laid up for a few weeks.
“Devyn had a G-tube placed 13 years ago,” says Crystal. “It’s been a lifesaver, but he hasn’t used it since 2018 so we’d like to get the button removed.”
On June 2, Crystal will host a party to celebrate Devyn’s graduation.
“I’m so grateful for all the love and support we have received throughout Devyn’s life,” she said. He’s an inspiration to me.”
