GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A young man will graduate from Jenison High School Thursday night who has a remarkable story of recovery.
Antonio Bodemann was adopted by his nurse, Janet Taylor, 18 years ago.
Taylor has worked at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for 34 years and began caring for Bodemann in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Bodemann was born three months premature.
“He was born at 24 weeks gestation weighing 1 pound, 10 ounces,” Taylor said. “Lungs premature, digestive system premature, neurosystem, everything, all of his systems were premature.”
Taylor developed a friendship with Bodemann and his mother Hope.
“When Antonio was 2 months old she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was only 27. She had a great attitude and when she was diagnosed, it was already stage four,” Taylor said.
She began treatment and nurses made sure Hope was able to spend time with her son.
“On her bad days, we would bring Antonio over to her room. He was stable enough, probably by the time he was three months old, to do that he was off the ventilator,” Taylor said.
Bodemann came to Taylor’s house to be looked after while his mother was receiving treatments. Hope asked the family to adopt him, knowing they could provide the care he needed.
“When she asked us to adopt, it was a little surprising because family was starting to get involved but she knew that we had that relationship with him,” Taylor said.
Hope died when Bodemann was just over a year old.
“It brings it all back and a lot of emotion,” Taylor said. “Just really proud of him and I know that Hope would be really proud of him. He’s been through a lot.”
Bodemann will be forever thankful he had Janet watching out for him.
“Best mom ever,” Bodemann said. “I don’t think there’s really anything that can like own up to that just because that’s like a life-changing thing that you can do for someone.”
The baby blanket Bodemann had in the NICU is still a good luck charm.
For someone who started life struggling to breathe, he developed a passion for running and saw success on the track team.
“I started running track my sophomore year. My friend convinced me to join. I wasn’t really as good when I first started but as the years went by I started training with my coach more,” he said.
The family is grateful for his recovery and is excited to celebrate his graduation.
“I definitely see Antonio as a miracle,” Taylor said.
