Cameron Lee Sharp celebrates first birthday

Cameron Sharp, son of Tillman and Lisa Sharp of Lost Cane, recently celebrated his first birthday.
(Town Crier photo/Revis Blaylock)

[Click to enlarge]

family as he celebrated his first birthday on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Every new born baby is a miracle of life, but when that baby has to

begin life fighting for survival, the miracle becomes even more special.

Cameron, the son of Tillman and Lisa Sharp of Lost Cane, was born three

months early at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.

As the Sharps were waiting for their new baby and making plans for his

arrival a few months down the road, the calendar was changed and they

spent the next five months back and forth to the hospital.

Mrs. Sharp had an infection that caused her to deliver early. She spent

several days in the hospital but the labor could not be stopped.

"Even though it was early, I guess he was ready to be born," Mrs. Sharp

said.

Cameron weighed 1 pound and 15 ounces and measured 14-1/2 inches.

"The doctors told us to expect the worst, but hope for the best," Mrs.

Sharp said. "That was all we could do. He was a week old before we even

got to hold him."

Cameron had to battle pneumonia when he was only two weeks old. Just

when he got over pneumonia, he had to have heart surgery, a PDA

liagation. He was one month and four days old when he had his first surgery. One

week after surgery, Cameron was able to be taken off the ventilator.

Cameron was two months old before he could even wear clothes. The

family spent lastChristmas in the hospital.

Mr. Sharp had to go back to work and Mrs. Sharp made daily visits to

the hospital. When Mr. Sharp was off work, they spent all the time they

could visiting with their son and encouraging him to improve.

The Sharps expressed their appreciation for their family, friends and

neighbors that helped them.

"I had worked at the Manila Nursing Center and they had a baby shower

planned," she said. "It just so happened that Cameron was a week old on

the date that had been set. They brought me a money tree. Also several

neighbors gave us money to help with the gas expense back and forth to

Memphis."

Cameron underwent laser eye surgery on both eyes at the age of three

months.

Finally, after the longest five months of their lives, the Sharps got

to bring their son home on March 5. He came home on oxygen weighing 10

pounds.

A home nurse made visits to the Sharp home three times a week for the

first six weeks.

Cameron continued to improve and was ready to be taken off oxygen in

May. A therapist still comes once a week to their home to work with him.

He is catching up fast. He now has his first tooth and is beginning to

crawl and pull up. His first words included "eat," "Dada," and "bye

bye."

Cameron weighed 17-1/2 pounds and measured 27-1/2 inches as he

celebrated his first birthday.

When Cameron goes to Memphis for follow up visits, his parents take him

by to visit the nurses in the hospital that took such good care of him

during his long stay.

"They really got close to him in those five months," Mrs. Sharp said.

"They call him a little miracle."

A birthday celebration in his favorite cartoon character's "Winnie the

Pooh" theme was held at the Manila Park on Sunday with Cameron's family

and friends .

The Sharps agree that they have a lot to celebrate.

Cameron is the grandson of Betty and Junior Sharp of Manila and Sam and

Darlene Page of Batesville.