Emily’s 2022 Euro-Therapies (Euro-Peds) treatment

We are currently back in Michigan for another four-week course of intensive physical therapy (four hours/day) for 18 year-old Emily at the Euro-Therapies program. Emily first came to Euro-Therapies at age 4. At that point, due to her cerebral palsy and other medical issues Emily was only able to crawl and pull to stand. Through successive stints of intensive PT, the folks at Euro-Therapies brought her forward through taking steps in a gait trainer, to walking with a walker, to walking while wearing a gait belt, to fully independent walking. The jump in skills resulting from each course of intensive PT has been truly amazing!

 

The timing of this round of treatment is very good, as due to some recent medical issues/procedures Emily experienced a sudden loss of balance that significantly impacted her walking. We had two trips to the emergency room in the past month - one after Emily fell in the middle of the night and sliced open her chin, and another after a lengthy and very unusual seizure episode. She bounced back from each of those incidents without apparent issue, but experienced a big change after a subsequent trip to the dentist, during which she received some sedation, as she typically does. Since then, Emily's balance has been significantly off. She did not walk at all for a while after that, choosing to crawl instead. As she has done in response to every challenge thrown at her, however, Emily adapted to the new loss of balance and figured out how to get back on her feet, albeit with a much slower and wider walking stance. Unfortunately, medical science has offered us little with regard to what happened or any possible remediation.

 

True to character, Emily continues soldiering on and happily moving through her days. She has been much less confident on her feet, however, and at her full, adult size, her increased need for physical support has been challenging for both of us. So, we are very glad to be back at Euro-Therapies, where they are working hard with Emily on her strength and balance issues and helping her regain the mobility ground she lost. We have already seen noticeable improvement in Emily's walking, and most importantly in her confidence while on her feet. Emily is also receiving speech therapy at Euro-Therapies, with continued focus on helping increase her ability to convey her wants and needs, given her extremely limited expressive language abilities.

 

Unfortunately, the life-changing Euro-therapies treatment is not covered at all by Emily's health insurance. The financial and logistical challenges involved in getting this treatment for her are daunting, and honestly when we were able to pull it off the first time, when Emily was four, I did not view it as something we would likely do more than once. When I saw what it did for her, however, and how much it raised the ceiling of the abilities Emily could attain, I knew I had to keep working to get Emily back up to Michigan. With the support of family, friends, and community, we have been able to pull it off annually since then. I am ever so grateful for all the folks at Euro-Therapies have helped Emily to accomplish, and particularly glad we are back up here now, after Emily's recent medical issues and regression. If you would like to make a donation, it will go to the Euro-Peds Foundation and be used to directly offset the cost of Emily's current treatment at Euro-Therapies. Any donations will be greatly appreciated!

 

Warmly,

 

Amy Kavanaugh

If anyone would prefer to mail a check to the Euro-Peds Foundation, to be applied toward Emily’s treatment, it can be sent to: Euro-Peds Foundation, 300 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, MI 48341 (Be sure to write Emily’s name in the memo line of the check).

 

More information about Euro-Peds Foundation: The Euro-Peds Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of life for children who have gross motor disorders --such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and other movement disorders -- by raising funds and awarding grants that help them receive life-altering intensive physical therapy and education at Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric PT.