Suffolk, Va. - An 8-year-old boy is celebrating a huge accomplishment.
Just 6 days after brain surgery, he did something many adults only dream of.
He looks like any eight year old playing golf, but Jonathan Brittain is special. He's had eight brain surgeries since birth - and he's not afraid to show off his scars.
"They shaved the rest of my hair off and now I have my dad's haircut."
Jonathan and his twin brother Jacob were born 28 weeks premature and that's when doctors discovered Jonathan had Hydrocephalus - bleeding of the brain.
To fix the problem doctors put a tube called a shunt in Jonathan's brain so the fluid drains to his stomach and doesn't build up in his head.
"The thing about the shunts is they fail randomly - we don't know their lifespan," says Jonathan's dad Jeff.
It was just about a week ago when Jonathan's last shunt failed.
"I just woke up with a headache."
Jonathan had to have emergency surgery at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, but six days later he recovered and was back out on the golf course with his dad and two brothers.
"We were out there to shoot a couple of holes, but he was only focused on the 9th hole. It's his favorite hole. It's a par 3 over water, about 80 yards.
And this boisterous 8-year-old had so much confidence about his golf skills he first teed up with an expensive golf ball.
"He had a real, real expensive golf ball," says Jeff. "I was like son you may want to change that ball out and then he changed it out to a Titlest and then what do you know? He knocked it right over the water over the green and it rolled right over about 25 feet and went right in the hole."
"I didn't think I was going to get a hole in one," says Jonathan.
"I've never had a hole in one," says Jeff. "Nobody in our family has ever had a hole in one. So for it to happen for Jonathan it was extra special."
"It's hard to believe six days before he was having brain surgery and six days later he's out playing golf. The lord's blessed us and has taken care of Jonathan and got him back to where he could even be playing golf."
Jonathan has to go back to CHKD in six weeks for a checkup and make sure everything went well with the surgery, but his family believes he's ok.
Just 6 days after brain surgery, he did something many adults only dream of.
He looks like any eight year old playing golf, but Jonathan Brittain is special. He's had eight brain surgeries since birth - and he's not afraid to show off his scars.
"They shaved the rest of my hair off and now I have my dad's haircut."
Jonathan and his twin brother Jacob were born 28 weeks premature and that's when doctors discovered Jonathan had Hydrocephalus - bleeding of the brain.
To fix the problem doctors put a tube called a shunt in Jonathan's brain so the fluid drains to his stomach and doesn't build up in his head.
"The thing about the shunts is they fail randomly - we don't know their lifespan," says Jonathan's dad Jeff.
It was just about a week ago when Jonathan's last shunt failed.
"I just woke up with a headache."
Jonathan had to have emergency surgery at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, but six days later he recovered and was back out on the golf course with his dad and two brothers.
"We were out there to shoot a couple of holes, but he was only focused on the 9th hole. It's his favorite hole. It's a par 3 over water, about 80 yards.
And this boisterous 8-year-old had so much confidence about his golf skills he first teed up with an expensive golf ball.
"He had a real, real expensive golf ball," says Jeff. "I was like son you may want to change that ball out and then he changed it out to a Titlest and then what do you know? He knocked it right over the water over the green and it rolled right over about 25 feet and went right in the hole."
"I didn't think I was going to get a hole in one," says Jonathan.
"I've never had a hole in one," says Jeff. "Nobody in our family has ever had a hole in one. So for it to happen for Jonathan it was extra special."
"It's hard to believe six days before he was having brain surgery and six days later he's out playing golf. The lord's blessed us and has taken care of Jonathan and got him back to where he could even be playing golf."
Jonathan has to go back to CHKD in six weeks for a checkup and make sure everything went well with the surgery, but his family believes he's ok.
