John's Story

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When I found out I was having twins for my second pregnancy, I was so surprised and a little anxious. I already had a son who was 18 months old so the thought of having two more young ones so close in age made me wonder how I would manage to even squeeze in a shower during the day. Once the idea settled in that I could do this, I learned that I would be having a boy and a girl. How exciting! I was put on bed rest at 27 weeks, which is common with twins; no red flags at this point. At 32 weeks, Katie decided she was ready to be born (she still is my busiest child!). Still no red flags—twins are considered full-term at 36 weeks. However, John struggled during his first few weeks and had heart, breathing and feeding problems. He developed severe apnea (breath-holding spells) and bradycardia episodes (low heart rate).
After being in the Piedmont and Egleston NICUs for three months, John was ready to come home—along with his apnea monitor, pulse oximeter, blow-by oxygen, n.g. feeding tube, and various medications! Six months and three brain MRI’s later, we learned that our youngest son had damage to his brain, probably caused by the severity of his ongoing apnea and bradycardia episodes. John was given the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. As I write this, I’m amazed that my once medically fragile son is sitting alongside his twin sister and peers in a typical preschool classroom.
He is not sitting in his wheelchair simply watching his classmates as he might be in other preschools. He is actively participating in normal four-year-old play with the aid of his Adaptive Learning Center (ALC) Facilitator. She helps him hold his crayons, positions his body to help him look at a story being read, and assists him going down the slide. In other words, she helps him to just be a kid! None of this would be possible without the support of the ALC. Thanks to their commitment to children with special needs, John is receiving the same preschool experience as his twin sister and is truly thriving in an inclusive environment. When I tell John that he is going to school today, he grins from ear to ear!

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain. Faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture.