Ten-year-old Grant Krabill stepped confidently into the Logan County Fair Show Arena Wednesday morning with his dairy beef feeder entry, “Pepper,” showing at the fair for his first year after practicing each day and receiving expert guidance from his 4-H adviser, Madi King, with whom he has formed a special bond through their similar medical experiences.
Seven years ago on July 14, instead of enjoying this quality family time at the fair and marking new milestones together, the Krabill family of West Liberty were anxiously waiting as their then-3-year-old son Grant was in an operating room at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, undergoing brain surgery for a condition called Chiari malformation.
It was the second surgery he went through in about a month following complications experienced after his first procedure on June 12, 2014, his mother Katie said.
A Chiari malformation is a problem in which a part of the brain (the cerebellum) at the back of the skull bulges through a normal opening in the skull where it joins the spinal canal. This puts pressure on parts of the brain and spinal cord, and can cause mild to severe symptoms, Johns Hopkins Medicine reports, www.hopkinsmedicine.org.
Grant experienced severe headaches and other symptoms at a young age that lead to his eventual diagnosis and need for surgery, Mrs. Krabill said.
“Looking back now seven years later, it was such a traumatic time, and as a mom going through this or for your kid, it can feel like such a lonely road.
“But we have been fortunate enough to have found, through 4-H, a family who has such similar experiences to ours. It’s all about finding your tribe, and Grant has found his in Madi.”
The Krabills began hearing through a friend in their club, Showin’ and Growin’ 4-H, about Madi, who also underwent surgery for Chiari malformation at age 4.
Now 23 years old, the Bellefontaine resident became a 4-H adviser about two years ago.
Her mother, Kaci King, who also attended Wednesday’s Junior Fair dairy show, said it has been a difficult journey for their family, as Madi’s brother, Austin also has the condition. Between the two children, they have been through numerous procedures over the years.
At the time when Madi and Austin were experiencing symptoms and needed surgery, her mother said there were not many options in Ohio. So the family traveled to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., where their children were seen Dr. Ben Carson, who at the time was chief of pediatric neurosurgery.
“We were so fortunate to be treated by him,” Madi’s mother said of Dr. Carson, who went on to run for U.S. president in the 2016 Republican presidential primary and also served as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Kaci King wrote about her children’s experiences with battling craniosynostosis and Chiari malformation in her published book, Light Will Emerge, as previously detailed in a 2009 Examiner story.
Years later, Madi would graduate from the Ohio Connections Academy, taking the opportunity to complete online schoolwork while pursuing her love of competing in equestrian competitions on the international stage, even earning a world title.
“It was my escape. I love being with horses, and animals in general,” she said relating how she dealt with the prolonged issues caused by her medical conditions.
Madi recently has been cleared by her medical professionals and she no longer needs to be under their care. Grant is still followed by neurology and a neurosurgery at the Columbus hospital, where he completes annual visits, his mother said.
The 4-H adviser and member pair have been able to connect through their similar hardships to build a meaningful bond. They discussed how various conditions that they might encounter during fair week, like being hungry or overheated, can pose challenges for them.
“It’s really nice to be able to share with someone who just gets it,” Madi said through a few tears.
This spring, the 4-H adviser spent time with Grant and his siblings on their livestock projects, with Madi also noting that she previously has shown beef projects as well.
“She was such a big help to our boys, working with them on showmanship, walking and feeding their cows and helping them to bathe them each week,” Mrs. Krabill said.
“Grant really knocked it out of the park today,” Madi said of the West Liberty-Salem fifth-grader’s time in the show arena. “We’ve also shared water fights, card games and lots of fun along the way.”
Watching Grant step into the show arena alongside his mentor Wednesday on the surgery anniversary day was emotional for his mother as well, who said it speaks to the community that 4-H fosters.
“4-H helps to bring everyone together, and our story is one example of how it can be so much deeper than what people might realize. It’s so special to us.”