Sebastián is a wonderful child, the result of a healthy pregnancy and long awaited by his mother Marla Ciares, and her husband William Cruz, both young professionals committed to forming a healthy and happy family. However, while in his mother's belly, Sebastián suffered a stroke.
At 5 months Marla noticed that Sebastian had a high preference for using his right hand and that his left hand left her behind. The pediatricians initially did not give much importance to their concern, but mothers know when something is not right. At 10 months Marla and her husband decided to visit a pediatric neurologist. A MRI reflected a scar in the right hemisphere of his brain, potentially as a consequence of an “old” ischemic stroke.
Sebastián had a hemiparesis on the entire left side of his body as a result of the scar on the right side of his brain as a result of the heart attack he suffered while still inside his mother's belly. From then on, an intense process of visits to specialists began, in and outside of PR, trying to get answers to multiple questions: what caused it, what other areas of his development would be impacted, how to prevent it from happening again, how to mitigate the damage suffered, what should be expected...
For a professional mother, this panorama is not what was expected, especially when she received the best care during pregnancy.
Marla met APNI through a friend. After an initial interview and determination of eligibility (household income was not a consideration for the child to benefit from the program), Sebastian was accepted into the APNI Early Intervention program.
Every two weeks the orientations, interviews and sections took place within the home or his grandparents' home (where they took care of him). With each orientation section, Marla became convinced that Sebastian had great potential and would overcome his diagnosis.
After completing 2 years, APNI guided them to transition to the Department of Education program. The goal was for the child to begin receiving these services through the Special Education Department at age three.
Sebastián receives physical and occupational therapy treatment. He is involved in various physical activities that require the use of both sides of the body so that he reaches the full development of the left side of his body (including the perception of everything that happens on the right side). These other activities range from including it in tae-kwon-do classes, kindergarten-music, musical instruments, swimming, visiting parks and activities that children do according to their age. In every activity there is an opportunity to do therapy.
“Thanks to APNI services we learned not only to offer therapeutic assistance to Sebastián but also to take control of the process of integrating at each stage of his development all the tools that allow him to reach his maximum potential. We still do not know what caused his heart attack. But we do know how to help him overcome the consequences of it.”, expresses Marla with the certainty of a bright future for Sebastián.
For Marla, education and having the right support networks have been the key to helping Sebastián. This event has not had negative consequences for Sebastián's development. And that is precisely what we pursue at APNI: that every child with special needs has the opportunity, through adequate training of their parents and guardians, to develop fully as well as than any other of his peers.