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Megan is a walking success
 Five-year-old
with cerebral palsy is reaching
milestones
one step at a time.
Life’s obstacles affect people of all ages. Megan was born
prematurely with Spastic Diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that greatly
affects muscle control and fine motor tasks.
She was adopted by her parents, Sherrill and Lonnie, at 11 months. At
that time, she did not have muscle control of her head, could not roll
over in her crib and had difficulty swallowing food.
It can be frustrating and even scary for a parent looking for help in
this kind of situation. Fortunately, Megan’s parents found help in the
United Way funded programs at Rainbows United.
"We couldn’t have asked for anything better," said Sherrill.
Megan began receiving home-based physical therapy and speech therapy
when she was only one. Later that year, Sherrill started taking Megan to
Rainbows United for the Center Based Education program, focusing on
preschool education, physical therapy and speech.
Moving Forward
Even though she was just learning to sit up by herself and swallow
her food when children without cerebral palsy were learning to walk and
talk, Megan received the help she needed to move forward.
Sherrill regularly looks at photographs to help remind her of how far
Megan has come.
"Every birthday, we overcome huge milestones," said Sherrill.
By age two, Megan was learning how to crawl. By age three, she spoke
her first words and by four, Megan was standing up on her own strength.
Today, she enjoys being with her friends at school and is learning
how to write and use scissors by herself. "It’s really nice to see her
do things other kids do," said Sherrill.
Dreams becoming a Reality
With everything Megan has accomplished, her mother says the hope has
always been for Megan to walk on her own. Since she began treadmill
therapy over a year ago, she has changed walkers three times and
significantly improved her ability to stand for lengths of time.
She gets around just fine on her
"gate-trainer" walker and is learning to use canes and leg braces to
assist her in walking. Even more amazingly, Megan is taking steps on her
own and without assistance for the first time in her life.
When asked what she wanted to do when she becomes a big kid, Megan
said, "Walk by myself outside all day long." It doesn’t look like that
dream is far off.
Bright-eyed and smiling, Megan continues to forge ahead. She is set
to graduate from Rainbows United in May and move on to public school
next fall.
Thanks to United Way donations from people like you, Megan is being
given the tools she needs to be successful in life.
See column at right to find out
more about how your support of United Way of the
Plains is helping our community. More Stories:
click here. |
Strengthening Children and Families
Issue: Individuals living with cerebral palsy
need personal and proactive treatment to overcome the affects of this
neural muscular disease.
United Way Actions: United Way partners with
programs like those at Rainbows United to help insure individuals the
quality care they need.
Results: Those living with cerebral palsy are
able to significantly improve fine motor tasks and daily skills that are
necessary to live independently.
United Way impacts issues that matter:
For more information:
See other programs funded in the
"Strengthening Children and Families" impact area:
click here. |
