Kate the Great!
Kate ("Kate the Great" as they call her at hippotherapy) was born almost 5 years ago. She was born at 35 weeks and seemed healthy. She became critically ill at one month of age and almost died. She now has significant brain damage as a result. The illness was either a vaccine reaction (HepB) or a viral infection. She remains undiagnosed.
Kate is generally a very happy girl who enjoys her V-tech toys, swinging on her platform swing, being outside, listening to music and being cuddled. She works really hard!!!!!! After carting Kate around the globe (who knew a 4 yr. old could have so many frequent flyer miles!) and subjecting her to almost every alternative therapy imaginable (we have done amino acid therapy, FGF2, cranial osteopathy with Dr. Frymann, MEDEK, conductive ed, NACD, AIT, HBO, hippotherapy, vision therapy and all the standard PT, OT and Speech therapies and I'm probably forgetting a few things!) we have decided that what we really need to do is REPAIR HER BRAIN!
After we repair her brain, then all of these other interventions will be infinitely more beneficial. So the focus of our recent efforts has been supporting the CNS Foundation and its work. We are confident that we are only a few years away from having a treatment for Kate that will significantly improve her ability to function. We constantly dream about this day and it is what we live for!
Thank you to all of the dedicated parents out there who are helping to make this dream a reality for our kids!
Submitted by Sue Ellen Strong:
Carl, Sue Ellen, "Kate the "Great" and Christopher Strong (age 8), live in New Jersey.
