While the benefits of medical marijuana always seem to be met with some skepticism, to one father it was a crusade on behalf of his terminally ill son. This is the story of Sebastian and his quest to aid his son Jagger.
In 2010, a beautiful baby boy was born to Sebastien and his wife, whom they named Jagger. Soon after birth, it was evident that something was wrong. After extensive testing, Jagger was diagnosed with Leigh’s Disease. (https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/leigh-syndrome). Leigh’s Disease is a horribly debilitating disease which is normally terminal in 4 years. As hard as this was to hear, Sebastien and his wife decided against putting their child in hospice care and decided to spend what time they could with their son at home. But it was no easy task. Jagger was on 19 different medications and supplements including Oxycodone and at least 4 to 5 morphine shots a month to control his seizures.
Wanting to improve his son’s quality of life and bring a little peace of mind to his wife and himself, Sebastien did his homework and came across Cannabis oil, a blend known as Haleigh’s Hope. While Cannabis oil is still illegal in his home state of Ga, Sebastien made arrangements for Jagger to try this medication. There was an immediate and profound effect on Jagger in the number of and severity of seizures. So much so that Jagger was able to do away with one of his seizure medications. Additionally the use of the Cannabis oil reduced the severity of Jagger’s muscle cramps and pain to the point that he has been removed from Oxycodone completely and reduced the 4 to 5 morphine shots to 5 shots in the last 2 years. Remarkable!
Georgia like many states have yet to fully work out its relationship with Marijuana. While it is legal to possess Cannabis oil, it is still illegal to import, sell, manufacture, or grow marijuana and marijuana products in the state of Georgia. Sebastian spear headed the move to bring Cannabis oil to Ga. His attempt failed the first time, leaving him with little choice but to become a medical refugee. He moved to Colorado to provide his son with this vital medicine. For 13 months Sebastien remained in Colorado all the while working to make CBD oils legal in his home state. Until finally the law was passed and he and Jagger were able to go home. So, in order to meet the legal standard for CBD oil in Ga. Parents must first break the law to start with. Thus, continues this country’s fickled relationship with Cannabis.
Cannabis oil will not cure Jagger, nor will it make his disease any less terminal. But it did greatly improve the quality of life for Jagger and his parents by replacing 2 powerful pain management drugs, Oxycodone and morphine, as well as one seizure medication. This is a great improvement to his quality of life. For many who use cannabis oils, they are not looking for a cure, just the ability to improve the quality of their daily lives.
