Help Emerson get to Conquer and CLIMB Intensive Therapies

Help Get Emmie to Conquer and CLIMB!

These transformational therapies are not covered by insurance, and we are fundraising to help send Emerson to Conquer in St. Louis and CLIMB in Nashville. Funds raised will go towards the out-of-pocket costs for the 7 total weeks of therapy with Conquer and CLIMB, plus the cost of travel and lodging while we are there. These programs can be difficult to get into and have long waitlists. So we feel fortunate to give Emerson these opportunities. We are excited to watch Emmie push herself and gain more strength, mobility, and become more independent! The thought of her being able to walk some day makes me so excited!! I have seen other kids Emmie knows make HUGE progress at these programs and I can't wait for Emmie to have a chance.

Our first 2 week intensive will be at Conquer April 21st, 2025!

Emerson's Health Journey

Emerson was born at 22 weeks and 6 days weighing 1lb 3oz. Because she was born so early she had many complications and had a really tough start to life. She had severe brain bleeds on both sides of her brain which lead to her having hydrocephalus. She had to be transferred to Children's Hospital in Kansas City where they had Neurosurgeons on staff to monitor her and eventually place a shunt in her brain to drain the CSF fluid off.

A couple months after her first shunt surgery, she ended up getting a CSF infection and had to have her first shunt removed and a new one placed 2 weeks later on the left side. During her 7.5 month NICU stay she had MANY surgeries, infections, and blood infusions. She was such a fighter! She did go home on oxygen and stayed on that for about a year.

After she was first discharged from the NICU she came home for about 3 days and then at home one day she stopped breathing, turned blue and dropped her heart rate extremely low. It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced! We had a nice ambulance ride downtown to Children's and that day she did it about 6 more times. Turns out after a 48 hour EEG that she was having seizures. So she was diagnosed with Epilepsy and started a new med to control them.

We started doing many therapies to help her progress. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy officially when she was about 1.5 years old. Since her brain bleeds were worse on the right, her left side of her body is mainly effected. She turned 3 on August 4, 2021. She is finally army crawling but still can't stand on her own or walk. I am SO hopeful that with these DMI intensives that she will be able to at least use a gait trainer and have some more independence some day.

Why DMI Intensives?

DMI therapy (Dynamic Movement Intervention) is a specialized therapeutic approach used to treat children with cerebral palsy by focusing on guided movements that stimulate the nervous system, aiming to improve motor control, balance, and coordination through repetitive exercises that leverage the brain's neuroplasticity to develop new motor patterns and enhance functional movement abilities like sitting, standing, and walking; essentially helping children with CP achieve better mobility and independence through targeted, dynamic movements.

Focus on neuroplasticity:

DMI leverages the brain's ability to rewire itself by repeatedly exposing the child to specific movement patterns, prompting the brain to form new neural connections for better motor control.

Hands-on approach:

Therapists actively guide the child through exercises using precise positioning and handling techniques to facilitate desired movements.

Targeted movements:

Exercises are designed to challenge specific motor skills like weight shifting, postural control, and transitions between positions, customized to the individual child's needs.

Dynamic movements against gravity:

Many DMI exercises involve movements against gravity to stimulate the nervous system and promote motor learning.

Repetition and practice:

Each exercise is repeated multiple times during a session to reinforce new motor patterns and promote automaticity.

Benefits of DMI for cerebral palsy: