Meet Aubrea
Tell us your child’s story:
Aubrea was a healthy 7-pound 13-ounce beautiful, happy, brown eyed baby, her smile would light up a room. On November 7th, 2015 she suffered a stroke and severe seizures, which caused her to have vision and developmental disabilities. The cause is still unknown. Through all her challenges she has kept her beautiful smile and heart melting laugh.
Why did you choose APT for therapy services?
Aubrea was receiving therapy services through First Steps up until she was three, then we needed outpatient therapy for her long term and a dear friend recommended APT.
What improvements have you seen in your child since they started therapy at APT?
Aubrea has made many different improvements since her first day at APT, she now is able to sit up and hold herself up on her own for minutes at a time (our hands on the sides of her just to protect her in case she falls), she also has more of a protective instinct while sitting up. She now has so much more head control and is able to look around at her surroundings, and she is now able to stand up tall with assistance. Aubrea also wasn’t doing any sounds or words, now she says “momma”, “ball” and “all done
What has been your brightest moment along the journey?
There has been so many bright moments, but I would have to say the most precious was when I saw my baby girl stand tall for the first time.
Physical Therapist Adria Betz and Occupational Therapist Erin Wegrzyn have been working with Aubrea for the past year. They have both been able to see varied improvements in her progress. Read below as they share how far she has come:
How long have you been working with Aubrea and what improvements have you seen?
Adria (PT): I have been working with Aubrea since July 2018 and have seen great improvements in just less than 1 year! Since getting a stander for Aubrea last fall, she has gone from zero weight bearing on her feet (flexed her knees upward) when placed in standing position to being able to stand with equal weight bearing on feet with only support under her arms. Aubrea has also improved greatly in her sitting ability, from unable to sit without maximal support to now, being able to prop sit (I) for over a minute at a time! We have to continuously challenge her as she is meeting goals slowly but surely.
Erin (OT): I have been treating Aubrea for 1 year. In my 5 years of experience as an OT she has made the most significant gains in short time frame. At the evaluation I had to take extra precaution to protect her head during transfers because she lacked core and head control. She prefers laying on her back and was unable to independently transfer out of that position. She remained in a stressed state during sessions and required extra time and sensory input to calm. Now days people in the waiting room can hear her efficacious laugh during her treatment sessions. She has also increased her global strength needed to roll and prop sit while safely maintaining head position.
Describe a little about your and Aubrea’s relationship:
Adria: Aubrea came to us with difficulty maintaining a happy face as she was assisted into certain positions that were hard for her to hold or didn’t prefer to hold. Within a few months, she was able to slowly become stronger and these same tasks were getting easier for her to perform so her demeanor changed, almost with each session. Now, she is laughing during each session, as she listens to her own laugh caught on video or while being stretched (she is pretty ticklish)! She is such a delight to have in our office as she keeps us laughing, too.
Erin: Aubrea is unable to see so as an OT it is my job to let her experience the world through touch, smell, taste and sound. I give her the opportunity to explore all things. Sometimes she is quick to let me know she does not prefer particular items. I have learned her body language to know what she likes and does not like.
What is one of your favorite moments you have shared with Aubrea?
Adria: Lately, Aubrea is becoming more vocal, either with laughing or utterances. This past month, Aubrea started saying “mama mama” during our (OT/PT) session and Shannon (Mom) was scrambling to get her phone out to video it, but as soon as she started the video, Aubrea stopped saying it. We were trying to get her to say it again, however, she ended up saying something that sounded almost exactly like “all done.” We all laughed so hard!
Erin:I remember when she first started prop sitting on her own! The independence she gained that day gave me goosebumps. However more recently she has been making audible sounds such as “Momma”and “all done”. I held back tears as I saw the look on her Mother’s face. It was truly a milestone for both of them. Parents often find themselves living through their kids achievements and this was one of those