Gabi is Riding Again

On January 24th, 2011, Gabi grabbed her head and stumbled to the ground and started to go unresponsive. Fifteen hours later, at midnight in the PICU, we found out that Gabi had had a stroke. It was sudden to say the least! Two days after her stroke she had increased swelling to her brain and required emergency surgery to remove part of her skull to allow for her swelling brain to expand. Since Gabi’s stroke, we have moved to a new state due to my husband’s job and our life and world as we know it have changed…but change is good. Initially Gabi was unable to control her head, neck, trunk, etc and she also had no use of her right side. She also had a hard time speaking and could not remember most of the cognitive things that she had learned so long before. Through therapy, initially PT, OT and Speech and now PT and OT, she has overcame so much! She walked out of the inpatient rehab hospital with the ability to find her words. To this day she is starting to use her right shoulder and elbow with the hope that her wrist and hand will follow. It takes her a little longer than her twin sister, Chloe, to learn things and school concepts have to be explained over and over but she is still excelling for a Pre-Kindergartener. She has learned to adapt many things to her way of doing it. She is happy even though sometimes things are harder for her. For her birthday in January, she and Chloe each got a bicycle. I have to admit, I think Gabi’s twin was a little jealous of Gabi’s cool new recumbent bicycle. So proud of my girl and how far she has come!! So excited for the future to see how far she will go!!