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It鈥檚 currently Shark Week on TV and one Squamish teen is sure to be watching each episode intently.听
Aspiring marine biologist and shark-aficionado Zach Jordan was recently able to see some of the rare creatures up close in the waters off Miami.
In April, the Children鈥檚 Wish Foundation of Canada granted Jordan, 14, his wish to participate in shark research with PhD candidate David Shiffman of the popular Southern Fried Science blog.听
Jordan suffers from a rare and serious set of symptoms labeled dysautonomia听and听
postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome听(POTS), his mom Isabel explained, and his prognosis is unclear.
He has suffered from a facial tumour, limited muscle control and a host of other daily issues such as headaches and constant nausea.
鈥淚t makes it hard for him to function on a day-to-day level,鈥� she said.
Puberty exacerbated the teen鈥檚 symptoms to the point he wasn鈥檛 able to attend school for much of Grade 9 this year.听
The granting of the wish, therefore, was a bright spot in an otherwise not great period.听
Jordan鈥檚 mother didn鈥檛 tell her son he had been nominated by a local family to receive a wish until everything was set.听
鈥淲hen you don鈥檛 have a diagnosis you are pretty used to falling through cracks and fighting for things for yourself,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty used to doing things on our own so [Zach] almost couldn鈥檛 believe it. He almost didn鈥檛 understand.鈥�
The trip was beyond anything the family could have imagined, she said.听
Jordan has wanted to be a marine biologist since he was about eight, so it was very exciting to put a research tag on a great听hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). The little yellow identification tag with a phone number of the lab was clipped underneath the dorsal fin.听
鈥淚t was amazing鈥�. Sharks are beautiful creatures,鈥� Jordan recalled late last week from his home in Squamish, adding it is important sharks are protected, 鈥渘ot just for them, but for the entire food chain that relies on them.鈥� 听
He didn鈥檛 feel well on the trip 鈥� heat and stimulation quickly exhaust him 鈥� so he rested in the hotel to be able to have the energy for the day tagging sharks. Out on the water a few miles off the coast he didn鈥檛 think about his symptoms, he said, and he was able to enjoy the day.听
鈥淭hey made sure to warn us 100 per cent of shark bites come from the head,鈥� Jordan said with a long and hearty laugh.听
The research they did was serious, Jordan noted. The scientists brought along a centrifuge, Jordan explained, his voice rising with excitement, and they took small tissue samples to see what the sharks ate.
Children鈥檚 Wish took care of everything. Representatives arranged things with Shiffman, flew the family down to Miami and handled all the details, from transporting his specialized wheelchair, hotel accommodations and car rental to helping put in place Jordan鈥檚 medical treatment while he was in Florida.听
Shiffman also went above and beyond, arranging to meet them for dinner in addition to taking Jordan and other family members along on the boat to do the research.
鈥淗e is a really nice person,鈥� said Jordan. 鈥淗e just invited us, it wasn鈥檛 part of the wish.鈥�
When one child is very sick, taking vacations as a family is tough, Jordan鈥檚 mother said, so the trip was special for all of them.
Jordan鈥檚 sister Evie and parents went on the trip and other relatives were able to travel along with the family.
鈥淲e like to go away, we like to do stuff, we like to have adventures, but it has been really hard 鈥� it has been really, really difficult, and I think that was the best part of it for my husband and I having a new adventure together, the four of us.鈥澨�
Due to their experience navigating the medical system with their son, Jordan鈥檚 parents co-founded the Rare Disease Foundation in 2008, to help other families. Visit .听
