BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

Little Granton Bayless is a long way from knowing about the meaning of the Fourth of July.

But the 9-month-old baby declared his own brand of independence on the nation’s birthday last Friday, July 4, when a breathing tube and the last of five chest tubes were removed from his tiny body, giving family members and doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., a reason to celebrate.

It also offered a stronger ray of hope that the baby can crawl, coo and cry on his own without being followed by tubes and machines.

For in the world of Granton Bayless, celebrations are measured in the tiniest of increments.

The removal of one less tube, syringe or beeping machine is a major sign of improvement.

“These were big milestones,” said Granton’s grandmother, Deborah Bayless of rural Havana about the removal of the final chest tube and the respiratory machine. “This marked the first time that Granton was able to breathe on his own, and it was the first time that his family was able to hold him since he was admitted into the hospital several months ago.”

Granton Bayless is the infant son of Daniel and Jenni Bayless of Bolivar, Mo. Daniel is a native of Havana and was the first of seven Bayless children to attend Caney Valley schools. His parents, Dennis and Deborah Bayless, continue to reside in rural Havana.

Four months ago, doctors diagnosed Granton with a rare immunity disease called severe combined immunodeficiency, which prevents the body from producing enough blood cells necessary to fight off infections and disease. The condition is often dubbed the “bubble boy disease” because patients have to live inside a protective bubble for protection from germs and infections.

A patient at Children’s Mercy Hospital since late March, Granton’s frail little body became more fragile after pneumonia and a respiratory virus caused holes to form his lungs.

After being placed on a respiratory device and having as many as five chest tubes inserted to pull away the fluids and air leaking from his lungs, doctors were not optimistic about the chances for Granton’s survival. Medications were administered that intentionally paralyzed him so that he would not burn off the precious amounts of energy and oxygen inside his body.

Family members could touch Granton’s lifeless body inside a sterile incubator. But, they could not hold him — for two entire months.

Potential bone marrow donors were summoned to see if they were a match for a bone marrow transplant.

But, the prospects of Granton pulling through a perfect bone marrow transplant surgery were dwindling each day.

The atmosphere inside that pediatric care unit was grim.

That’s when the doctors made a last-ditch effort to save Granton’s life by putting him through a surgery that transplants blood cells from a donor’s umbilical cord. The fresh blood cells from an umbilical cord are intended to attack viruses and other harmful, infectious cells.
Since that transplant operation was performed on June 10, Granton has shown so many signs of improvement that doctors are labeling him a “miracle baby,” said Debbie Bayless.

“The doctors warned us ahead of the surgery that Granton would likely be on a respiratory for several months and that he would likely remain hospitalized even longer,” she said. “But, the new blood cells appear to be taking hold. And, we’re seeing signs of improvement each day. Removing him from the respirator and the last of his chest tubes was a huge step.”

Granton still has a long road ahead of him, Debbie says. Doctors said that a 100-day window from the day of the transplant is needed to see if the body will reject the influx of new virus-fighting blood cells. Today (Thursday) marks the 30th day of that 100-day timeframe.

Granton continues to be fed through a feeding tube, however doctors are toying with the idea of testing Granton’s swallowing skills to see if he is able to start taking food through the mouth. Should that occur, then the Bayless family can chalk up another major step in Granton’s recovery.

And, there is a chance that Granton will be moved from a pediatric intensive care unit to a transplant unit at Children’s Mercy Hospital, which is one more show of physical improvement, Debbie said.

“Right now, Daniel and Jenni are hopeful that Granton can be home by his first birthday in October,” she said. “But, there is a long road ahead of us for that to happen.”

Debbie said she, her husband and the remainder of the Bayless family have been overwhelmed by the show of support and prayer during the past several months. Thousands of letters have arrived at the hospital, many from strangers who offer their support and prayer to the family. Various fundraisers — from penny drives to cooking competitions — in Montgomery County as well as in Daniel and Jenni’s home in Bolivar, Mo., have raised thousands of dollars to offset various medical costs.

Persons interested in staying abreast of Granton’s recovery can read a daily blog set up by Daniel Bayless. The website is http://grantonbayless.blogspot.com. The blog has generated almost 200,000 visits since it was first posted in April.

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