Lily Pad Takes Independent Steps!!!

Child, who suffered 5 strokes before birth, walks!

Well, it has been a whole month since my last post and this time I have video evidence of Lily Pad walking!!! She is doing incredibly well. And she is walking without leg braces which is absolutely amazing!

We finally did get her new leg braces in, but she started walking the day before we picked them up. It was as if something clicked with her and she just took off!!! It was Tuesday, October 30th and I brought her home from daycare that afternoon. I sat her in the floor as usual and she stood up and started walking. She walked lap after lap around the house; she would not stop! She did it for about two hours that afternoon. And she fell down A LOT. But she would just stand up and continue walking again.

Even though Lily is walking without braces, she does still have a few struggles. Her legs do turn in still,  but is not overly pronounced. She has a mid-foot strike on the right foot because of tonality on the right side of the body. Then she is still slightly weak on the left side. But her problems are only slight. What a blessing!!!!!

I have talked to many parents of children with strokes and every child walked at different times. Some walked at 2 years old, some at 18 months, and some walked at 1 year old. It took Lily 24 1/2 months to finally take her first independent steps and it was worth all the time and effort and physical therapy and money to provide her with the care she needed.

I want to thank the parents on the various blogs and facebook pages I am a member of who encouraged me and told me not to give up. Your children's stories of struggle and hope gave my husband and I the determination to press forward and demand better for our child. You are an inspiration to my family!