30 Days of PH: Our Young Son Inspires Everyone He Meets

Photo courtesy of Jessica Apostoloff

Day 20 of 30

This is Jessica Apostoloff’s (@xoxjessaxox) story:

Odin is our seven-year-old son who has been living with pulmonary hypertension (PH) since birth. It’s an illness that he fights daily and one he does not allow to define how he lives his life. Like any child his age, Odin wants to have fun and enjoy his childhood. His already restricted childhood became even tougher within the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus has changed the way we as a family look at life and how we go about our daily routines. Over the past two years, we have had to change how we live our lives and limit our interactions with close friends and family to avoid contact with this virus as much as humanly possible.

Odin requires oxygen at all times and is currently taking three medications to help control his PH. Along with his two older sisters, he must attend school remotely and have limited and restricted time to spend with their friends. They have had to sacrifice family gatherings, holidays, and birthdays. We, as parents, have had to do our daily errands at specific times to try to mitigate possible contact with Covid.

However, even in such unprecedented times, we are still trying to understand that Odin is as strong as ever. He continues to fight his illness with everything he has, and his strength is an inspiration to me and our family. He refuses to let this hold him back and lives his life to the fullest.

He is a strong and kindhearted boy who loves to run around as much as he can, play video games, and watch movies with his family. He is very friendly and always excited to see family and friends and share his stories with everyone.

While Odin does need to fight this illness every day, he never backs down. He continues on, always with a smile on his face. His strength is an inspiration to so many, and he gives us the strength we need to keep on fighting with him.

Pulmonary Hypertension News’ 30 Days of PH campaign is publishing one story per day from someone who has been affected by the disease for PH Awareness Month in November. Read the full series for more stories like this, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtag #30DaysofPH.