Yeah, (mom laughs) – I had numerous doctors, nurses, tell me that “He wasn’t gonna make it, You know, there was no survival chance at all”.
And just to see him four years later, just like you know, you can’t believe everything everybody says, And his plastic surgeon is like completely amazing.
He’s like a miracle worker –
What has he done? –
Well, he’s the one that first did the skin grafts on him.
– What is the process of skin grafting like?
Do they do it all at once, or was it a long process? –
So the initial one: they put a pig skin (Ja’bari Coos) just to see- if I don’t know if it’s like with everybody, but I know his case- just to see if his body was gonna reject it.
They didn’t know how it was gonna happen.
So they put pig skin on him, I would say for about almost a month.
He had it while the lab was growing his skin by a skin biopsy from behind his ear.
And then, when the skin grafts came, they were put on all at one time. –
So they took a skin biopsy from behind his ear and grew skin –
Yes, so his own skin.
Instead of growing like artificial skin or getting donors, This lab in Boston actually voluntarily said: “Hey, we’ll try to do this.
We’ve never done it, but we’ll go ahead and try”.
So they sent a skin biopsy for behind his ear and they grew, I believe, 25 trays of skin. –
How old was he when he did have the skin grafts? –
He was only a few months old.
He was like five, six months old – What did he do before then? –
Nothing, They just had him.
We would put bandages on him.
– He was at home.
– He was in the hospital the whole time.
So he was in the hospital from his birthday, New Year’s Day, until December 14th of 2019..
So almost the first year of his life he stayed in the hospital.
– I imagine him interacting with other kids.
His age would be great for his development.
– Yes – How can other parents kind of foster that relationship and encourage their kids to form a bond with Ja’bari? –
Just kind of be open, Don’t be scared.
He’s not sensitive at all (laughs).
He’s very tough.
Just interact and just like teach your kids, acknowledge too.
’cause I see kids like just stare at him and you know, don’t know what to do and don’t know to say.
So it’s always good for parents just to explain to the kids like “Hey, there is different kids that look a little different, but they’re just like us”. –
Could they be blunt, Kind of like we’re in this interview.
Maybe they could say: “He was born without skin, so he spent the first few years getting skin and being healthy, and now he’s learning the things that you learned when you were a baby”.
Yes – Is Ja’bari’s brain developing typically?
– Yes, Just as far as there’s gonna be a lot of delays because of his vision, With that takes a lot of place, of a lot of learning.
So, other than that, they said everything was okay.
I would just say these last few months he’s kind of opened up more.
He’s more interactive with us.
He laughs and giggles, We say something and he like, says “Uh-uh” or “Yes, no”.
(Ja’bari Coos).
So it’s kind of funny.
’cause some of the questions we ask him we’re like “Oh, my God, Like how would you know”.
Is it okay if I ask him a few questions?
– Yes – Ja’bari, I have a big question for you.
He’s listening (giggles). –
Do you love your mom?
Do you love your mom a lot? –
Yeah, (Ja’bari Coos).
(mom giggles) (Ja’bari Coos) –
Was that him answering? –
Yes, (chuckles), And usually he doesn’t like how he’s sat up with you.
He normally is like this, attached to me.
So that’s a big thing too, ’cause he usually never likes to sit up at all.
He likes literally to be cradled.
(Ja’bari Coos).
Yes – Does Ja’bari feel safe around you?
– Yes, I would say when he is like sad or crying as soon as I pick him up.
It’s completely different, Like he just completely feels like very safe and secure – I’m learning all about you today, Ja’bari.
I’d like to tell you a little bit about me (Ja’bari Coos).
My name is Chris and I have a puppy dog (Ja’bari Coos).
I have a dog who goes (Ja’bari coos) “Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof”.
That’s what my dog always says.
“Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof”.
Woof, Woof, Woof.
(Ja’Bari giggles).
(everybody chuckles).
Was that a giggle? –
Yes –
And sometimes my dog goes “Meow” (Ja’Bari giggles).
Just kidding, Dogs don’t go “Meow”.
Dogs go “Woof, Woof, Woof” (Ja’Bari giggles)
And my dog’s name is Noodle – Noodle – Noodle,
Yeah –
And sometimes when you talk to him certain words, it sounds like he’s like mimicking you back – It does sound like he was mimicking “Noodle” – Do you believe he will speak one day? –
Yes, I do.
He’s jumping on his leg Just because we’re getting a lot more improvement as far as him responding to small things, He’ll be like “Uh-huh, uh-uh” or we ask him a silly question.
He laughs.
So a lot of stuff is improving as time goes on.
Now he’s like even ticklish now, Like he was never ticklish before – Does he laugh? –
Oh yeah, (Ja’Bari giggles).
Yeah, I’m going to tickle, tickle, tickle you.
I’m gonna tickle, tickle.
I’m gonna tickle you.
I’m gonna tickle, tickle, tickle you, Tickle, tickle, tickle you.
(Ja’Bari giggling).
I’m gonna tickle, tickle you.
I’m gonna tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle you. –
Does he enjoy meeting new people?
– Yes, He said no (laughs).
Yes, you do –
So does he shake his head?
Yes and no. –
Yes, and sometimes it’s like him being silly.
Does he have five fingers underneath? –
Yes, So in the picture too, you could see when he was born, all his fingers were completely, you know, open.
And he moves them underneath.
This one’s a little bit more loose, but the other one, you can actually see all his fingers moving.
You can hear them popping.
Right, Ja’bari. –
What about his feet?