Connect Issues Winter 2021

JORDAN NAILOR REBOUNDING ON THE COURT For lots of kids, sports are more than a game. Between tournaments, practices, and travel teams, sports can become a way of life that is organized by season – football, basketball, baseball, summer leagues, repeat. The circle of friends becomes a sports family, all with really strong backsides from weekends spent sitting in bleachers. Heading into middle school, the sports life was a happy one for the Nailor family. Jordan, 13, was start- ing to get more focused on his favorite, basketball. Because of Marfan features, it appeared that he was gifted for the sport. But neither Jordan, nor anyone in his family knew that he had the condition. “I thought as I got older, I could maybe play in col- lege,” said Jordan.

The Nailors say there were small clues that Jordan might have Marfan, but the idea had been pushed aside by their doctor until the family’s optometrist pushed for testing and the diagnosis was confirmed. As disappoint- ing as it was for Jordan and his parents to walk away from the teams and friends they’d grown to love, they realized quickly how important diagnosis and treatment were to keeping Jordan safe and healthy.

Too often, when families find out their child has Mar- fan, it’s because the child faces a medical emergency. Now, with better diagnosis and more awareness, this is less often the case. The Nailors try to be proactive with people to help them see the signs. “If we see a kid who

the Mississippi River and in nearby Lake Tomah. “I never really got to fish with my grandpa a whole lot before because he was working and I was playing sports,” said Jordan. “Now that he’s retired, we can sometimes go out for a whole day.” Grandpa Kevin may take

“We try to spread as much awareness as we can. Plus, it’s nice when people around us know more about Jordan and his situation.”

is growing very fast and maybe has poor vision, I’ll mention Marfan to the

his fishing seriously, but time with his grandson is about more than just fishing. As a professional fisherman, he has a lot of

parents to see about check- ing it out, just in case,” said Rich Nailor, Jordan’s father. “We try to spread as much awareness as we can. Plus, it’s nice when people around us know more about Jordan and his situation.” IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS In the spring of 2020, Jordan began golfing with his dad, and the family invested in a set of custom-built clubs. “It’s really cool now that I can play golf with dad for 18 holes and we just talk the whole time,” said Jordan. Another family love is fishing. Grandpa Kevin is a professional fisherman whose favorite spots are on

exposure in the fishing world so, to show solidarity with his grandson, he had his boat customized to spread awareness about Marfan syndrome. “When my dad got his new boat, that was some- thing he really wanted to do for Jordan,” said Rean- non, Jordan’s mother. In many ways, Jordan is like any other teen. His grandpa plays pranks on him when they are out fish- ing. He has been known to drive the golf cart a bit recklessly. But it’s fair to say that, basketball playing or not, Jordan has a special skill in rebounding.

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