When Austin was nearly 4 months old, we noticed he didn't want to sit
up. We couldn't put him in a stroller or grocery cart or even in a high
chair. When we tried to get him to sit, he would push back as hard as
he could to lay down. When we told the doctor about our concerns she
dismissed them until he was 6 months old and still not sitting up.
Since that time, Austin has been receiving an hour of occupational
therapy each week. At 11 months old he was finally able to sit up
unassisted. We were elated he'd reached his first goal but still
noticed he wasn't where he should be developmentally. We didn't feel we
were getting an adequate amount of concern with his pediatrician
regarding his delays. In February we were finally approved to see an
off base doctor. On our first visit she shared with us the same
concerns that we'd been having for months. Although she didn't suspect
anything was terribly wrong, she did want us to continue therapy and see
a pediatric neurologist just to be safe. In March we saw the
neurologists. He told us Austin had length discrepancies with his leg
and foot on one side and he thought that was why he won't stand flat
footed, or unassisted. He expressed that because of this, he was having
balance issues and would eventually learn to compensate and walk. He
didn't expect anything else was going wrong but wanted to do an MRI and
EEG of his brain just to make sure there wasn't an underlying seizure
disorder causing these problems.
Last week we went to get the test results and were given devastating
news. The MRI showed no brain damage or seizures but the EEG showed
Austin's brain isn't functioning at the appropriate speed. Normal brain
function is 8-9 hertz, and Austin's functions at 6 hertz. They
diagnosed him with infantile cerebral palsy. Although we will never really know
the cause of this condition, the doctor believes at some time during his
brain development before birth there was a loss of blood or oxygen.
His brain didn't form all of the connections needed to function
appropriately, resulting in his condition.
So, what does this mean? Honestly, we're not sure yet. Learning to
walk, talk, eat solid foods, and learn will all be a challenge for
him. We hope that he can accomplish all of these things, but just don't
know what the future holds for him. He is mobile enough that we are
pretty certain he won't be in a wheelchair but don't know if he will
need other assistance to walk. We were given little hope in the doctors
office but feel that is the worst case scenario and not necessarily
what Austin's life has to be. We plan to give him as much love and help
as we possibly can to make sure he has every opportunity to learn and
grow. As we try to figure out the best ways to help him we ask for you
to remember him and Austin & I in your prayers. This diagnosis is extremely hard for us to process right now. Hearing your little baby boy will struggle physically, mentally, & emotionally his entire life is heart breaking and overwhelming to say the least. I look into my sweet little boy's eyes and am overwhelmed with a roller coaster of emotions. Right now we're trying to focus on the hear and now and put off worrying about what the future may (or may not) bring.
The Lord preforms miracles every day and we know if it's His will,
he can help Austin learn to walk and talk and function as other
children. Right now we are trying to talk comfort in the words of Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland, "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
Special Lessons
