Grad surmounts hurdles
No doubt about it, Cheney High School’s Jordan Nessel qualifies at notable.
And his is a can-you-top-this tale.
Nessel, who will graduate Friday, was born without the right side of his jaw.
He couldn’t hear out of his right ear.
He had four “pits,” or skin tags, on his face and numerous other defects that caused him to be teased and talked about for most of his life.
Nessel was born with Goldenhar syndrome, also known as oculoauicular dysplasia.
Nessel, 18, said he’s been told the chances of being born with Goldenhar are one in a million.
He may have gotten it from someone in his family who was exposed to chemicals. Maybe it was his grandfather, who fought in World War II.
No one knows for sure.
What he’s certain about is the number of surgeries he’s had: 25.
“Kids were always cruel,” Nessel said. “That’s part of the syndrome. Now, for the most part, they’re accepting.”
Nessel, who lives with his mother, Ronnie Vansant Nessel, now has a prosthetic jaw.
That surgery was done earlier this year after his body rejected a bone graft intended to rebuild the right side of his face.
Nessel’s facial reconstruction started at the age of 2 weeks, when doctors removed a papaloma web, or extra skin in his throat, which was cutting off his breathing.
He’s also had years of speech therapy, detectable in just a hint of a speech impediment.
At one time, his devoted mother, who has three older children, was taking Nessel to eight different specialists. She estimates the medical costs, covered by insurance, total more than $3 million.
To add to the stress, the family’s mobile home burned down last June. Vansant Nessel said it was an electrical fire.
She also said her son, with the help of one other person, took down the house “hand by hand.”
Mother and son are now living in a smaller mobile home.
Nessel estimates he’s spent more than 15 percent of his life in hospitals or recuperating at home.
His education was routinely disrupted, and he found himself in special education classes.
However, he’s gotten up to speed and will graduate with his peers.
He plans to study forensic science at Spokane Community College in the fall and transfer to Eastern Washington University, where he will study police science.
He said he has no interest in entering the field of medicine.
“He’s really motivated to learn,” said Kathleen Mayes, special education language arts teacher, who has worked with Nessel for four years and tutored him at home during his latest recuperation.
“He’s very positive and very confident in his ability.”