In trying to keep life centered, at some point along the way we all face challenges that throw us off course. And when these challenges evolve into situations with serious health consequences, our true character is put to the test. Thankfully, with the right team by your side, whether it be family or friends, getting through these situations together is what builds hope and allows us to persevere.
Here at ATI, we are often times the first line of defense in helping others get through these difficult times, so we put in every effort in making our family yours. With that, we do whatever it takes to help our patients no matter what obstacles stand in the way, because that’s what family is for, right?
In driving home this pledge, not too long ago, our team was tasked with defying insurmountable odds with Aidan Young, who was a micro preemie born at 23 weeks. Due to bilateral brain bleeds that occurred a week after birth, he was diagnosed with moderate spastic hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. This condition weakens movement by impairing the ability of the brain to send the proper nerve signals to the muscles.
In Aidan’s case, the entire left side of his body was impaired significantly by cerebral palsy. In an effort to help Aidan improve his skills and weakened motor functions, his family received disheartening news. The neonatologists taking care of Aidan told them that he would never be able to walk due to the severity of the bleeds he suffered at birth. With the odds stacked against them, Aidan and his family refused to give up and chose to continue fighting. It was this moment, that Aidan’s parents decided to seek out the ATI clinic in Southeast Indianapolis and see what could be done to help Aidan.
Aidan underwent extensive physical therapy under the professional guidance of clinic director Megan Burnett and physical therapy assistant Andrea Smith. Thanks to their patience, dedication and care, as well as Aidan’s willingness to power through all challenges, Aidan and his family were given news they never expected to hear – Aidan would be able to walk again! And walk again he did – a feat medical professionals said wouldn’t happen.
We recently meet up with Aidan’s mother, Gayle Buttram, to learn more about this incredible journey through the impossible. Here’s what she had to say…
What made you choose physical therapy over other treatment options?
Initially, we tried an early intervention program, but didn’t achieve the outcomes we were hoping for. Soon after, I reached out to Megan about my frustrations, which is when she informed me of her experience in pediatric therapy through her clinical rounds at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. And since our developmental Pediatrician at Riley Children’s Hospital believes strongly in early intervention, especially with her micro preemie patients, she was confident that we would see better outcomes for Aidan once we got him in to see a therapist, like Megan. It was then that we knew Megan was the right person for the job!
Were you concerned that the outcomes of physical therapy wouldn’t help Aidan walk?
Plateaus are scary, especially when you think your child might not achieve a skill that is a necessary part of “normal function.” Plateauing was the aspect of therapy that intimidated us the most. I knew that Aidan would master some skills but I was more concerned about him plateauing and not being able to move forward. Megan was awesome at this point in our journey. She educated us that sometimes patients, especially pediatric patients like Aidan, need a little bit of a break because we throw so much information at them that they need time to process it on their own. Our progress was slow at times. Aidan suffers from Moderate spastic hemiplegia so the entire left side of his body is affected by CP and he is so spastic sometimes that it becomes difficult for him to move. Megan powered through with his treatment and just adjusted his sessions based on how he was doing each day.
What was treatment like for Aidan? Was it tougher or easier than expected?
Treatment was rough in the beginning. Aidan started therapy very early, around age 1, and he was not able to verbalize his desires and/or needs with us. Some sessions we made great strides and in other sessions we made minimal improvements. The best part of our experience is that Megan was always so optimistic about Aidan’s outcomes. She really believed that he would one day master the skills we were working on with him no matter what type of session we had.
How has Aidan been since graduating from PT treatment?
Aidan has improved by leaps and bounds since our last session with ATI. He now walks (well mostly runs) everywhere that we go. He receives therapy services as a part of his individualized educational plan through school, and we do go to a pediatric outpatient clinic once a week. He still has minimal use of his left hand and he walks with assistance of bilateral ankle-foot orthosis (or AFO), but when we started therapy, we were anticipating that we would need a reverse walker to get around once he became mobile.
What have been key takeaways through this experience? What advice do you have for other parents with children dealing with similar conditions?
One key takeaway from our experience is that the road is never easy but it is so worth traveling. Having a child with needs that are considered “outside of the norm” can completely blindside and overwhelm you. Megan made it a point to let us know that we were all in the journey together. She was truly invested in Aidan being able to live as normal of a life as possible. Sometimes it is easy to feel like you can’t handle the stress of having a pediatric patient like Aidan, but to see the joy they express at being able to complete a task as simple as walking or riding a bike for the first time is such an emotional experience.
From his birth, we were told that “he wouldn’t” or “he can’t” because of his early arrival and the brain bleeds that followed. Through our experience with ATI, we were shown that miracles happen despite projected outcomes. I would tell other parents to never give up, it sounds so cliché but I truly believe it. We don’t know our outcomes until we try and if we never try we will never achieve anything different than what was originally predicted for us.
To completely understand how important of a role ATI had in Aidan’s recovery, we also met with clinic director Megan Burnett to hear about her experience with Aidan and his family.
What preparations were made to make Aidan and his family feel confident in the treatment?
Aidan was seen twice a week and I made sure that I was the treating therapist at all times. I made sure each family member knew me and our goals for each therapy session.
What were the biggest challenges during Aidan’s treatment?
Aidan is the sweetest boy you will ever meet and he quickly makes you fall in love with him. Some of the biggest challenges we faced was resistance to therapy. In some sessions, if he was too tired or if we were working on tasks such as crawling we had to be very patient and give him space to try and grasp the task at hand. This was challenging because we all hate to see a child struggle, but I knew he would master the task at hand if we gave him the space to fail and then learn.
What were the keys to Aidan’s treatment success?
Aidan’s family made it a point that they were doing therapy daily with him at home. They were constantly taking videos and pictures so I could see how he was functioning at home. The persistence with his home exercise program allowed for him to master goals in therapy. Another key to his success was the relationship we were able to build. Aidan trusted me and we had fun playing together. He responded well because it was play to him, but developmental gains per my definition.
What advice would you give a parent with a child needing PT?
I would say call around and find a therapist that is knowledgeable and can commit to building a relationship with the child. Know that therapy may be a slow process depending on the child’s deficits and this relationship between therapist and child will only improve if the child is working on HEP and committed to coming to therapy appointments. Lastly, trust that your therapist cares deeply for your child and will do anything to see them improve.