A 5-year-old Arizona boy may be receiving one of the most controversial drug treatments available for adults: medical marijuana.
Little Zander Welton suffers from seizures caused by cortical dysplasia, a genetic brain defect, according to ABC 15. Parents Jennifer and Jacob Welton want to do anything they can to help treat Zander's weekly seizures.
The Weltons saw news reports that disabled children are doing better using medical marijuana, but Arizona law has strict requirements for allowing a patient under 18-year-old to become a card holder.
"They need two doctors to sign off on the treatment, the caregiver needs to be approved for a medical marijuana caregiver's card and that person has to live with the recipient," according to ABC 15.
Though some of Zander's seizures are severe, others are subtler and only noticeable by twitching in his eyes. Zander has also had seizures that sometimes cause him to stop breathing, and his parents' worry during each episode that it will be his last.
Zander's illnesses have limited his mobility, and after severe seizures he will revert back to crawling. To add further frustration for the Weltons' situation, Zander was also diagnosed with autism, and cannot verbally communicate with his family.
"If he's sick we have no way of knowing," Jennifer told ABC 15.
After Zander's two brain surgeries, a third surgery for shock therapy and countless amounts of trial drugs and prescriptions, medical marijuana is giving their family hope, ABC 15 reports.
"If this finally works for Zander and I finally get to meet who he is, that would be amazing. Because I don't know who he is, he's just a little boy that's trapped in this craziness," Jennifer said.
The Weltons have begun the process to get medical marijuana for their son, but are facing other issues besides getting proper permission. The couple's insurance does not cover the medical marijuana, and it may cost them about $300 a week to get it for their son. They have reached out to people for donations for their son's treatment.
