Retrain Nora's Brain
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My name is Eric, and I am one of Nora’s teachers. I was also Nora's mother's teacher, and I have known Nora’s family for many years. I’m reaching out to share Nora’s story and to ask for your help in supporting Nora and her family to meet Nora's ongoing medical care and therapy needs.
Meet Nora!
Nora is a bright, imaginative 8-year-old girl who fills every page of her life with color. She dreams of painting the world and being a successful artist. Nora has recently been diagnosed with multiple medical conditions and has a long road ahead.
Every day, Nora works twice as hard as her classmates just to keep up. On top of school, and having to repeat first grade this year, Nora requires five different therapies per week that all come with hours of hard work and dozens of at-home exercises.
The Beginning
Nora was born a full-term, beautiful baby girl, delivered at 39 weeks and 1 day via scheduled c-section. What was not known by Nora’s parents at that time, but what was discovered seven years later, was that Nora received supplemental oxygen in the delivery room for 17 minutes once doctors discovered Nora was at 57% oxygen 4 minutes after birth. Nora also had a number of low blood sugar readings in the hospital during the days following her birth. All genetic testing has been normal to-date and Nora does not have any inherited conditions that would explain her symptoms.
The Journey
Nora struggled silently for 7 years without quite understanding how life was different for her.
I mean, how could she? Life for Nora was, as it had always been. She knew nothing different than her own reality. She was too young to speak up, or explain, let alone understand, what was happening with her eyes, her body, her brain.
Up to a point, Nora compensated for her disabilities well and rationalized her differences. Traditional medicine assured her mother that “kids will be kids” and that children develop at different rates. Then school happened. Nora’s struggles became more evident to her and eventually to those around her. Private tutors, Sylvan Learning Center, summer school, even her teachers at school could not help Nora learn to read, write, or do basic math like her peers. Retaining the information she was able to learn was an additional hurdle.
In Spring of 2024, Nora started to vocalize “brain freezes.” She described them as episodes where “her brain freezes, she cannot hear anything, and then she snaps out of it” and it is like someone “wiped her brain.”
The Diagnosis
At 7-years-old after speaking up about her “brain freezes,” Nora and her Mom started a long and difficult process to discover why Nora was experiencing “brain freezes” and why life and learning for Nora seemed to be so hard. After nearly a year of exploration, and many, many, tests, evaluations and meetings with specialists, Nora has been diagnosed with:
- Scarring on the brain (White Matter Lesions)
- CVI (Cerebral Vision Impairment)
- Prosopagnosia (facial blindness – Nora doesn't recognize faces, even her Mom's)
- Staring spells (happens when her brain freezes)
- Restless sleep (frequently fatigued, impacting learning)
- Increased risk of developing seizures and epilepsy (based on EEG)
- Speech difficulties (requiring Speech Therapy)
- Learning Disabilities in reading, writing and math (requiring year-round tutoring and educational support)
- Scoliosis (curvature of the spine)
- Various eye motor control issues (affecting focus, attention, navigation)
- Deficits in working memory and executive function (affecting learning success)
The scarring in Nora’s brain caused her brain to wire itself differently than it should have as she grew. Without treatment, her brain will continue to rewire in ways that it should not. Because the scarring in Nora’s brain is not due to stroke, infection, inflammation, or tumor Nora’s injuries cannot be treated with surgery or medication.
The best hope to help Nora, is to continue her therapies and medical monitoring. Nora’s therapies are designed to help her improve her balance, coordination, spatial orientation, eye function, cognitive function, and spinal alignment. Equally as important, Nora’s therapies are designed to help her brain adapt and rewire by forming new neurological pathways.
How You Can Help
While insurance may cover some of the costs, your donations will help with the following ongoing therapies and associated care expenses. (*All amounts are anticipated estimates.)
- Neurologist visits: $40 per visit
- Functional Neurotherapy: $40 per session plus $5,000 out of pocket for the first round with additional rounds necessary depending on success.
- Weekly Neuro-Rehabilitation therapy: $50 per visit
- Recurring MRI Scans: $2,000 per scan, insurance dependent
- Vision therapy: $5,000 per round with additional rounds necessary depending on success
- Speech Therapy: $100 per session, every other week
- Occupational Therapy: $40 per week
- Physical Therapy: The Schroth Method (Scoliosis based): $100 per visit
- In-Home Therapy Equipment: $1,000
- Specialized Educational and Therapy Support: $250 per week
- Art Therapy: $1,000 per year
Despite her daily struggles, Nora’s love for art, her positive spirit, and kind heart inspire everyone around her. With your support, we can give Nora the best chance of retraining her brain and her body to unlock its full potential. Your donation will help Nora see the world in new ways and will give her hope for a brighter future.
Please donate to help Retrain Nora's Brain.
Organizer and beneficiary
Eric Roberts
Organizer
Orlando, FL
Nora B
Beneficiary