A MIRACLE!

Henna was 2 years old when she was admitted to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. She had been thrown against a concrete wall by her biological father for crying too long. She had two depressed skull fractures, old blood on the brain from previous abuse, a lacerated liver, collapsed lung, suspected sexual abuse, and shaken baby syndrome. Henna coded while on the way to the hospital via helicopter and was brought back to life only to go into surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. She was not expected to live through the night. Henna was in a coma for one month hanging on to life. Then the miracle happened! Henna woke up and was able to move all her limbs and speak, shocking all of the medical professionals. We took Henna into our home and shortly after her arrival she started having seizures.

Henna's journey continues as we try to control her seizures. She received the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) on Feb. 4, 2011 at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC. The VNS will send an electrical impulse to Henna's brain every 3 minutes for 30 seconds to interrupt her seizures. Over two months we have increased the electrical current and we have seen no change in her seizure activity. It looks as though Henna is in the third of children who receive a VNS that sees no relief from the VNS. We are very disappointed! We have started her on a new medication in addition to her current medications. Maybe it will help.

On August 6th, 2012, Henna had a full corpus callosotomy. This surgery is for people who have generalized seizures with no focal point. The corpus callosum is a band of nerve fibers located deep in the brain that connects the two halves (hemispheres) of the brain. It helps the hemispheres share information, but it also contributes to the spread of seizure impulses from one side of the brain to the other. A corpus callosotomy is an operation that severs (cuts) the corpus callosum, interrupting the spread of seizures from hemisphere to hemisphere. Seizures generally do not completely stop after this procedure (they continue on the side of the brain in which they originate). However, the seizures usually become less severe, as they cannot spread to the opposite side of the brain.

Henna received a white Labradoodle, Leo, from 4 Paws for Ability in Oct. 2010. We sent 4 Paws 2 shirts a week to help train her dog. One shirt was when Henna had a seizure and they used it for her dog to smell the chemical change during her seizure. The other shirt was when Henna had NOT had a seizure. This helped her dog differentiate between the two scents. It's a fascinating process. We trained for 10 day in Ohio with Leo and a trainer before bringing Leo home.

Leo had been going to school with Henna but started to bark and growl at different people when they came into her classroom. We worked with Leo's barking and growling when people would knock on the door and for a while he seemed better. He is very protective at home also. He then barked and growled at some boys who came into Henna's classroom and had to be removed from school. The trainer at 4 Paws said that some dogs bond so closely with their child that they become protective. Leo took on Henna's classroom as another home and felt he had to protect her. Sadly, because of his aggressive behavior, Leo can no longer be a service dog. The trainer said Leo would behave lthat way with any child he bonded to. Just his nature. We will keep Leo as a pet. Leo LOVES being just a pet. He still alerts to Henna's seizures and lives to get his hot dog reward!

Henna now has Snoball, a beautiful Golden Retriever. Snoball was born June 3, 2011. She is so sweet and a bundle of energy! Sno is doing an excellent job alerting to Henna's seizures BEFORE she has them! She is alerting up to one hour before Henna has a seizure. Sno goes to school with Henna and proudly wears her school ID badge. Snoball will be a great seizure alert dog and will serve Henna well.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

4th of July Weekend

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend.  We had our foster daughter, Francesca, and her 4 children stay with us until Tues.  Fran was with us for a year when she was 17 and on her 18th birthday she felt she could go out and make it in the world so she left our home.  We hadn't heard from her for 8 years!  We wondered what had happened to her.  She was very close to Henna when she lived with us. 

We had a fantastic reunion!  We spent a lot of the weekend outside while the kids played on the swing set and swam in the kiddie pool.  Chris barbecued and we had so much food.  Chris took Fran and all but the youngest kids to see Cars 2.  Ezra stayed with me.  Fran and I went to the thrift store and got all the kids some summer clothing.  It's so nice to have her back in our lives...
 Quiet time watching a movie.
 Mica and Henna playing Barbies.  Mica and Carter hung out most of the weekend.
 Fran and Henna
 Chris was showing the kids how he starts the charcoal grill.
 Working with Leo on "come" and "place".  Leo will do just about anything for a hot dog.
 Henna doing her patriotic dance on the 4th.  We go to our friend's house on the lake every year. 
 Chris had a bunch of fireworks that the kids let off before the main firework show.
 Henna had so much fun.
 The joy of a child...

The kids covered up Leo with a patriotic scarf.
We took Fran and the kids home on Tues. afternoon.  The house was so quiet when we returned.  Henna was great with all of the commotion and little people in her space.  They got a long very well.

Henna has been going next door to my friend's house to work on phonics with her.  She home schools her kids and Henna doesn't want to listen to me but is perfect for her.  Whatever works.  Henna is always asking what we're going to do for the day, when I'm going to feed her, and if she can see her school friends.  She's such a social creature.

Henna is going to Jill's House again on the 15th and then we are going to the beach at the end of July.

                                                           Gabriel
Ezekiel

We were asked if we would like to wait for a German Shepherd puppy for Henna's service dog.  There are 2 from the same litter who are in training right now.  They are only 4 months old so we will have to see if they respond to Henna's scent.  They have to be interested in scent work.  They have champion show dog parents with great personality and temperament.  Please pray that one will work out for Henna.  It will be another 6-9 months before they will be ready and we will get another class date.  Right now Henna is doing OK.  She is having seizures but she's stable.

I hope everyone is having a restful summer.  Take care.
Jan
Posted by Jan at 11:31 AM

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