Make Way for Madi
In early 2020, James and Jaime Walker were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child, Madison “Madi”, never imagining the challenges ahead when Jaime went into labor. After prolonged labor and fetal distress, Madi was born by emergency cesarean section and soon began having seizures. Diagnosing Madi with a Hypoxic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Dystonia, and a seizure disorder, doctors informed her parents that her prognosis was not good. “We were told she would probably never walk or talk…she was drinking from a bottle independently and that’s all we had going for us,” shared Jaime.
Referred to Capper Foundation in 2022 to address concerns with gross and fine motor development and communication, Madi began receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy in conjunction with therapy services through her local school district. Over two years, she made great progress toward her individualized goals with weekly sessions at Capper with an interdisciplinary team of pediatric therapists. “When I started working with Madi, she barely said anything verbally but could use some simple sign language. Then, for a while, she utilized an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device which supported her language until she showed us a preference for verbal communication. Now, she can say short sentences and we are working towards clearer speech and expanding the sounds she will use,” remarked Kailey Petrehn, Speech-Language Pathologist earlier this year.
Today, Madi is a happy, healthy active little girl who is walking and running instead of hopping on her knees to get around. She graduated from PT at Capper in August 2023. Currently, she loves to play while continuing to work at home and school on increasing her functional communication skills as well as her fine and gross motor skills including activities of daily living. She was discharged from OT and Speech in August 2024 after completing a cycle of care. At Capper, we believe in teaching families and giving them the confidence and encouragement they need to help their child learn and grow while taking breaks from skilled therapy while leaving the door open to return for services if needed. With so many uncertainties in life, one thing we know for sure – Madi has a bright future and the world is hers!
With your support, Capper Foundation is committed to providing pediatric therapy services to children of all ages and circumstances facing challenges from a disability or injury. Together, we are building abilities!
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