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Ellie is simply amazing! Ellie has already surpassed what many doctors and therapists originally thought possible. She maintains a happy spirit and contageous smile despite what she has been through and still endures.
At birth, she wasn't breathing. She sustained severe brain damage due to lack of oxygen, and now has a diagnosis, among many, of cerebral palsey. She is almost 2 years old. She does not sit up, crawl, walk, or talk yet. She is functioning at legally blind. My husband and I are still working, trying to juggle it all, and make too much money to qualify for most of the programs that are out there to help kids like Ellie.... and we DO NOT make much! Our private insurance has a limit of 60 therapy visits per year. Given that Ellie has physical, occupational, and speech therapies, we can exhaust that limit in a matter of a few weeks, after which we would be responsible for 100% of the cost. Ellie also has a feeding tube that she uses to eat. Her therapies are so incredibly important so that we can, God willing, get her to start eating by mouth, sitting up, crawling, walking, and talking more. Also, Ellie is now in need of equipment such as a wheelchair (which our insurance just denied us), a stander for weight bearing on her legs, leg/foot braces, and a supportive body brace to prevent further scoliosis that is now starting in her back. I continually hear that Ellie needs so much more... more equipment, more therapy, etc. but then when I try to get assisstance anywhere... they look at me like I'M crazy for even trying. Well, I refuse to stop trying!! As my cousin says "Ellie deserves the best" and this is such a crucial time in her life. She tries so hard to learn, to move, to figure you out when someone new enters the room. Shes incredibly responsive with her facial expressions and her eyes. I've been told that if her physical developement does not catch up with what her brain wants to do (reaching for that toy, sitting up, moving her body around independently) that she will eventually start to lose motivation to even try. We will continue to fight for our angel as I know that this is one of the reasons God has blessed our family with her. And by "blessed" I absolutely mean it in every sense of the word. Ellie is a pure joy to be around and is the light of our lives. Thank you for reading her story.
At birth, she wasn't breathing. She sustained severe brain damage due to lack of oxygen, and now has a diagnosis, among many, of cerebral palsey. She is almost 2 years old. She does not sit up, crawl, walk, or talk yet. She is functioning at legally blind. My husband and I are still working, trying to juggle it all, and make too much money to qualify for most of the programs that are out there to help kids like Ellie.... and we DO NOT make much! Our private insurance has a limit of 60 therapy visits per year. Given that Ellie has physical, occupational, and speech therapies, we can exhaust that limit in a matter of a few weeks, after which we would be responsible for 100% of the cost. Ellie also has a feeding tube that she uses to eat. Her therapies are so incredibly important so that we can, God willing, get her to start eating by mouth, sitting up, crawling, walking, and talking more. Also, Ellie is now in need of equipment such as a wheelchair (which our insurance just denied us), a stander for weight bearing on her legs, leg/foot braces, and a supportive body brace to prevent further scoliosis that is now starting in her back. I continually hear that Ellie needs so much more... more equipment, more therapy, etc. but then when I try to get assisstance anywhere... they look at me like I'M crazy for even trying. Well, I refuse to stop trying!! As my cousin says "Ellie deserves the best" and this is such a crucial time in her life. She tries so hard to learn, to move, to figure you out when someone new enters the room. Shes incredibly responsive with her facial expressions and her eyes. I've been told that if her physical developement does not catch up with what her brain wants to do (reaching for that toy, sitting up, moving her body around independently) that she will eventually start to lose motivation to even try. We will continue to fight for our angel as I know that this is one of the reasons God has blessed our family with her. And by "blessed" I absolutely mean it in every sense of the word. Ellie is a pure joy to be around and is the light of our lives. Thank you for reading her story.