Story submitted by DOROTHY on November 03, 1999 at 19:15:21:
DOROTHY is 29, from S. AMBOY, NJ USA.
Family:HUSBAND-STEEVEN, DAUGHTER-OLIVIA
HI ALL,
MY STORY BEGAN JAN 16, 1999 WHEN MY DAUGHTER OLIVIA WAS BORN. SHE HAS ERB'S TO HER RIGHT ARM. THIS HAS BEEN A HARD UP HILL CLIMB. OLIVIA IS GOING TO 10 MONTHS OLD THIS MONTH AND HAS UNDERGONE PHYSICAL THERAPY SINCE SHE WAS 2 DAYS OLD. AT ABOUT 8 WEEKS OF AGE I BROUGHT HER TO A CHILRENS SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL WHERE SHE DID NOT RECIEVE THE PROPER THERAPY. WHICH I DIDN'T FIND THIS OUT UNTIL SHE WAS ALMOST 4 MONTHS. AT THIS POINT SHE HAD VERY SLIGHT MOVEMENT IN HER ARM. SINCE THEN I HAVE TAKEN HER TO A NEW THERAPIST, AND IN MY EYE'S IS OLIVIA'S ANGEL. SHE HAS PROGRESSED VERY WELL. OLIVIA STILL HAS QUITE SOME DIFFICULTY WILL SEVERAL TASKS THAT AN ADVERAGE 10 MONTH OLD DOES. SHE IS NOW CRAWLING AND IS ONLY ABLE TO PUT PRESSURE ON HER ELBOW TO DO THIS. SHE IS ABLE TO BRING HER HAND TO HER MOUTH AND IS ABLE TO PICK UP MOST OF HER TOYS WITH THAT HAND. WE ARE NOW WORKING ON PULLING HERSELF UP TO A STANDING POSITION. AND ONLY TWO WEEKS AGO SHE CAN NOW LIFT HER ARM UP AND SLIGHTLY OVER HER EAR TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. SHE STILL CAN NOT STRAIGHTEN HER ELBOW COMPLETELY AND CAN NOT TURN THE PALM OF HER HAND UP AT ALL. BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT. THIS HAS BEEN SO HARD. I FELT THAT SHE WOULD NEVER GET AS FAR AS SHE HAS. MAIN POINT I GUESS IS TRY NOT TO LOSE HOPE!! I SRUGGLE WITH THIS POINT EVERYDAY. IT HEARTBREAKING TO SEE HER STRUGGLE, WITH SOMETHING THAT SHOULD COME NATURAL. NEXT IN LINE, FOR HER IS THEY WANT TO GIVE HER BOTUX INJECTIONS. BECAUSE HER ONE MUSCLE IS SO STRONG IN HER ARM, IT'S NOT ALLOWING HER TO DEVELOP THE OTHERS AND SHE IS SO WEAK. PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS GONE THROUGH THIS LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. PLEASE E-MAIL ME. I'M SO VERY SCARED ABOUT THIS. IF ANYONE ELSE JUST WANT'S TO TALK E-MAIL. I THINK WE ALL COULD USE AS MUCH SUPPORT AS WE COULD GET.
BE POSITIVE AND THANKS FOR LISTENING!! :)
©Copyright 1997 Erbs Palsy Information & Resource Group.