Diagnosis: Cerebral Palsy – Blanca’s Pathway to Wellness

Palsy — Blanca’s Story

An MRI done on her first day of life showed massive brain edema and palsy

When Blanca was born, her umbilical cord was wrapped twice around her neck, causing asphyxia. She needed to have oxygen administered immediately. She began having seizures shorty after birth, and was given two different anticonvulsant medications. An MRI done on her first day of life showed a massive brain edema. She was kept in the hospital for 12 days.

Blanca returned home but had no significant development. She did not respond to anything visually. At 10 months of age, a visual test confirmed she was cortically blind. At 18 months of age, when most children are already walking and beginning to talk, Blanca had barely developed at all. She was functionally blind, deaf, insensate and immobile. She was able to cry, but made no other sounds. Her diagnosis was “Cerebral Palsy, spasticity and brain damage.” Her parents were told she might be able to improve, but she would never have a normal life.

Parents learned about the “What to Do About Your Brain-Injured Child” Course

They immediately made plans to attend the course. Her parents began with an intense program of visual, auditory and tactile stimulation. They placed Blanca on the inclined floor to get her moving as quickly as possible.

They started an excellent nutrition program with Blanca to give her the best physiology possible. Blanca made amazing strides in the first year of her program. She began to see and she was able to recognize her parents, as well as photographs for the first time. Parents then started a Reading Program, which Blanca loved.

After beginning a program of auditory stimulation, she began to hear sounds in her environment. She started to understand words and to respond to instructions. Parents now saw a child who was aware of her environment and responsive to people. She was overcoming the cerebral palsy diagnosis amazingly well!

Blanca began to crawl off the inclined floor and move on to the flat floor. She then started to get up onto her hands and knees to creep. The staff of The Institutes then worked with parents to get Blanca on her feet.

Blanca, with the help of the overhead ladder, started to learn how to walk. She walked hundreds of meters daily under the ladder.

Now that Blanca’s sight and hearing were excellent, her parents were able to begin a full intellectual program at home. This included an encyclopedic knowledge program and a comprehensive mathematics program.

Blanca Overcomes Palsy Diagnosis

The girl who was once functionally blind and deaf now reads and understands above her age level.

After seeing thousands of words, as well as many books created by her parents, Blanca started to read independently. She now reads in Spanish, and even in English! She loves to read and learn more about the world. The girl who was once functionally blind and deaf and labeled with cerebral palsy now reads and understands above her age level.

Blanca now says thousands of words and speaks in sentences.

When Blanca started the program, she could only cry, but now with an excellent and consistent physiological, intellectual, and physical program, she started to speak. Blanca now says thousands of words and speaks in sentences. She can say 3 to 5 sentences at a time.

All of the walking under the overhead ladder paid off. Blanca walked off the ladder and now is an independent walker. She started to walk both inside and outdoors as well.

Blanca built up to walking over one kilometer in a session. She started to jump, and is now close to beginning to run for the first time.

To improve her manual competence, Blanca began to hang from a dowel. This built up strength in her hands and arms, and improved her ability to use her hands. She can now hang for long periods and loves it!

When Blanca does something new, my children are really happy – even more than me! They know her goals and her victories are their victories.

Blanca does not do her treatment program alone. The entire family, including her four brothers and sisters, work with Blanca each day to help her continue to progress. At Blanca’s last visit, her mother commented, “In my opinion, the improvements in Blanca are because of her daily hard work and my dedication, but I have to say that the family is what is most important. My children know her program perfectly, they understand my dedication, and they understand and consider this our normal life. They want Blanca to improve, and when she does something new or when she achieves her goals, they are really happy – even more than me! They know her goals and her victories are their victories. That is very important. I don’t want to say that if the family is not involved in the program that it wouldn’t work, but if the family is involved the results are excellent. I am proud of my family. They love Blanca.”

Looking back at Blanca’s experience on the program, her mother says, “Without The Institutes Blanca would be immobile, blind, wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t walk, wouldn’t read and we wouldn’t be as happy as we are.”

The Institutes congratulates Blanca and her wonderful family on their hard work and astonishing achievement.