Meet Champion, Jasper

When Jasper was born full-term, nothing prepared his parents for what followed. Silent at birth, he was soon in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where dangerous carbon dioxide retention and severe muscle weakness led to a 119-day stay. Even after full genome sequencing, doctors had no clear diagnosis. Jasper went home with a tracheostomy, 24-hour ventilator support, a feeding tube, and 16 specialists at Hasbro Children’s by his side. Hasbro’s Ventilator Integration Program became the family’s lifeline, training his parents to manage every detail of his care and offering round-the-clock support. At age three, Jasper underwent an eight-hour airway reconstruction surgery and returned home trach-free just weeks before his birthday. Since then, the milestones multiplied. At five, Jasper celebrated living longer without a trach than with one. Now seven, he’s thriving, swimming, playing soccer and baseball, creating art, and lighting up every room with his bold personality and bright smile.