Chase Crouch, 8, When Chase had his 4-year-old wellness check in November 2010, everything was fine. But by Christmas, he was teetering over and bumping into things. In January he complained his head hurt. The pediatrician sent Chase to OHSU Doernbecher to “rule out anything major.” His mom intuitively packed an overnight bag, afraid of what they would learn. When the technician completed the MRI scans, the doctor had not yet arrived. He sent the family home, saying the doctor would be in touch with results. But 10 minutes later, driving down the hill, their cell phone rang. It was OHSU Doernbecher’s chief of pediatric neurosurgery. It turned out to be a benign, but fast-growing and dangerous tumor. Chase’s brain was swelling; he needed surgery. That was on Jan. 11. The operation took place Jan. 14. They went home Jan. 17. Seven days changed their entire outlook.
Chase’s mind works with lightning speed. A TAG student with a spatial awareness and intellectual capacity beyond his years, when he thinks about his world, he thinks in 3-D. He builds replicas of everything using LEGOs, tape and ribbon. He draws maps of their house as well as all of the routes to his favorite places: the golf course, his street where sparks fly from his scooter, even the route to Doernbecher, where he got to ride in a top-secret elevator last time he went for a routine MRI. He thinks MRIs are actually pretty cool — he found out they work with a magnet stronger than the earth’s magnetic field. He was so fascinated, he built an MRI from LEGOs. He thinks he wants to be a neurosurgeon. Or maybe an engineer. Or an architect. In the meantime, this 8-year-old is going to do what 8-year-olds do: grow up, learn a lot and have as much fun as possible.
The color scheme and texture of Chase’s collection — the Stefan Janoski Hoody and Cap — is inspired by “Dino,” his constant companion during treatment. The furry, nubbly upper and unique speckled outsole bring an entirely new aesthetic to the signature Janoski shoe — Chase even combined his logo with Janoski’s on the top of the tongue. On the cap, Chase highlighted his first initial with “7,” which represents his age when he designed the collection. The lining of the hoody is a rendering of Chase’s last brain scans showing that his tumor is clear.