Steubenville boy continues to defy the odds

STEUBENVILLE -- Damir Thorn may be just a little boy, but to his mother, he is nothing short of a miracle.

Born three months prematurely and weighing less than 1.5 pounds, doctors did not expect the newborn to survive. Yet Damir has continued to defy expectations and thrive.

Now 2, he lives in Steubenville with his mother, Amber, three older siblings and a niece. With assistance from the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities' Early Intervention program, he has reached both small and significant milestones.

Early Intervention provides services to children from birth to age 3 who have disabilities or developmental delays. The program works with children and families to improve gross motor skills, verbal communication and other areas of development.

Amber Thorn said her son was a surprise in more ways than one. She did not expect to become pregnant at age 44 and later learned her placenta was compromised, preventing Damir from receiving nutrients necessary for his growth.

Following a routine visit, Thorn was admitted to Akron General Hospital. Damir was born 11 days later, facing multiple health issues and a low chance of survival.

"You can tell he was not supposed to be here," she said. "I took the initiative and got in touch with doctors at Cleveland Clinic and went to Akron. I went up a few months before he was born and visited two or three times a week. I went that April 7 for a routine visit and stayed until he was born. The NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) doctor said Damir would come early."

Thorn underwent an emergency cesarean section and Damir weighed just 1 pound, 4.5 ounces. He remained at Akron Children's Hospital for the next 10 months, while his mother regularly traveled to be with him.

"For the first four months of his life, we didn't know if he would survive, but he pulled through. He was born on April 18, 2024, although he was not due until July. Born at just 26 weeks, he was small for his gestational age and faced several health challenges, including chronic lung disease, Stage 3 retinopathy in his left eye, and a hernia, among other issues. When he was first born, my first phone call was to tell people to come say goodbye because we believed he wouldn’t live past noon."

Damir was placed on a ventilator in the NICU, and a chaplain was on hand with the family. Thorn, however, refused to give up hope.

"We were praying over him," she added. "He did a complete turnaround and defied [the doctors' beliefs]. They told me he was a medical miracle. He shocked them. Fearless is an understatement; he's the strongest child I've ever known in my life."

Damir was taken off the ventilator at 7 months old and returned home in February 2025.

Shortly afterward, he began working with Early Intervention Developmental Specialist Jennifer Orlando following a referral from his doctors.

Damir did not require a feeding tube or tracheostomy, although he relied on an oxygen tank until he was 2. While his eye eventually healed, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and had no mobility on his left side.

Orlando made it her mission to help Damir regain movement and address his other developmental delays, including speech.

"He smiled and was very responsive, but he lacked muscle control," Orlando said. "I worked hard to strengthen him so he could hold up his head and use his arms and legs."

Orlando used play and other movements to exercise Damir's limbs. He had a toy grocery cart to transport his oxygen tank as he learned to walk.

By October, Damir was sitting up. By his second birthday, he was crawling, walking and talking.

Today, he no longer needs the oxygen tank. He runs and even loves dancing to music.

"He has a good attention span and knows sign language, but he also makes sounds. He blows kisses and gives high fives and fist bumps," Orlando said. "He's a very happy kid considering what he's been through. I knew he would walk, but with how delayed he was, I didn't know if he would be walking by age 2. He's proved us wrong."

Thorn expressed gratitude to Orlando and the Early Intervention program for supporting both her son and herself.

"He definitely would not be where he is if she was not at my house. She taught me all the tools to help get him where he is," she said. "They told me everything he'd do would be in his time. He was slow with everything but he did it. He did not sit up at 10 months, but now he does."

Thorn also credits her other children -- daughter Raven, 24; sons Daveon, 15, and Donald, 8; and granddaughter Alyrus, 5 -- with helping keep Damir active.

She said constant play and engagement with his family helped make him stronger. Damir is particularly close with Donald, whom he calls "Don Don."

Orlando said the older boy may have picked up ways to help his younger brother during Early Intervention visits.

"I'm sure Donald has paid attention during the EI visits and was able to work with Damir on a daily basis," she said.

Damir's communication skills have continued to grow beyond sign language, and he is saying names and words more often.

Thorn keeps videos and pictures of Damir on her phone, providing a reminder of the fragile infant he once was and the energetic little boy he has become.

Despite the challenges he has faced, Damir continues to persevere with a quiet strength and a big smile. These days, he visits only a few doctors in Boardman and Akron and requires albuterol for lung issues. But Thorn said he has thrived most at home.

She credits his doctors and nurses, family members and the Early Intervention program for helping him reach this point.

"He wouldn't be where he is if it wasn't for her," she said of Orlando. "He's made great strides. I was always optimistic, but Jenn gave me that hope."

And Thorn saves her greatest praise for Damir, who will be starting preschool in the near future.

"He's like my hero," she concluded. "To watch where he came from to where he is now, it literally is amazing."

For more information about the Early Intervention program, call (740) 264-7176, Ext. 2508, or visit ohioearlyintervention.org.