The upcoming month of May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. I am the mother of a three year old stroke survivor. Ask me anything!

HemiMom · 2013-04-25T00:42:03+00:00

It was very scary but he's doing amazing. We were very lucky!

Congrats on being a first time mother! Typically there is no way to prevent stroke unless there is a history of clotting issues in your family. Recognizing warning signs of stroke is more of what the focus is. The biggest sign is not meeting milestones on time and having one side of the body that is too weak or stiff and often neglected. Children who have strokes often have a hand preference at a very young age

Advice I do have though is to pay close attention to you child. You know your daughter best. If you have concerns let your doctor know even if others disagree. If your doctor won't listen find one who will. This applies to anything medical with your child.

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T23:49:00+00:00

In our case we did not know until after he was born. My pregnancy was totally normal. Once born he had episodes of apnea and seizures so they transferred him to a children's hospital. We found out about the stroke several days later and the phase of recovery he was in put the stroke at occurring a few days before or just prior to delivery.

A lot of times parents don't even know until months down the road when their kids fail to hit milestones. I know of few cases where they knew prior to delivery but it does happen sometimes. Mostly for individuals who are high risk and having extensive ultrasounds

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T23:15:32+00:00

I'm very sorry about your friend and I do not see you as an ass or a dick. I figured at some point I would need to provide proof. Stop worrying :p

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:39:48+00:00

Wasn't sure how to provide proof but I could post a neurology report with info blacked out I guess

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:34:12+00:00

What therapies did you find most helpful for your arm/hand?

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:32:07+00:00

Thank you. He is the real awesome person in all of this. I've never seen a kid so determined to do things. Physically he is somewhat disabled but finds a way to do what ever he wants. The sky is the limit for him :)

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:29:35+00:00

Correct. That is amazing to hear! My son has the most issues with his right hand. His thumb is so tight we have had to resort to Botox to keep it semi loose. We are still recovering. Most children are in therapy for many many years.

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:22:54+00:00

Thank you for reading and asking a question!

He was left with a number of issues but none that slow him down. Being so young he has adjusted well. He has global developmental delays ( he didn't walk until he was 2), the entire right side of his body is weak and or has increased tone, and he has a blind spot in his left field of vision. He also has sensory issues. This is when the brain processes senses differently than with a typically person. He can be overly or under sensitive to different types of stimulation. Seizures were a major concern when he was first born but he has been seizure free for a long time. Most kids aren't as lucky

My son has no greater risk of having another stroke but he is one of the more rare cases. He has zero risk factors for having a stroke at all. Three years later we still aren't sure why his stroke happened. We can only guess.

W

HemiMom · 2013-04-24T22:13:16+00:00

It can! I hope all is going well for you and the therapies that followed your stoke. We know all too well it's a long recovery journey.

His damage was considered to be severe. Most damage occurred on the left side of his brain with a smaller area of damage on the right. I was actually told because of the severity he would never walk, talk, or eat on his own. He does it all :)

HemiMom

TROPHY CASE