Chloe is a spunky, adventurous and independent 4-year-old. She loves to play with friends, swim and learn new things. Chloe was diagnosed with a mild case of cerebral palsy shortly after birth and is determined to not let anything stop her from living her life to the fullest.
An unexpected birth story
In 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel and Mike, Chloe’s parents, found out they were pregnant. They were so excited and couldn’t wait to meet their baby in May 2021.
“For the most part, my pregnancy was uneventful,” Rachel recalls. Rachel went to her 32-week appointment and everything was on track. Rachel and Mike were planning to paint the nursery and have a virtual baby shower that weekend. But that Saturday night, everything changed.
Rachel was up in the middle of the night when her water broke. Her provider told her to come to the hospital. There, things progressed and Rachel was told it was time to have her baby.
When Rachel was ready to push, things started to take a turn. Her baby’s heart rate was dropping, and she was told she needed an emergency C-section.
Chloe’s NICU stay
Because Rachel’s daughter, Chloe, was in distress during much of the birth, she needed to be resuscitated once she was born. Chloe then spent 30 days healing in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
During their NICU stay, the family found out that during birth Chloe had experienced a grade 1 brain bleed.
“Her care team said the brain bleed had stopped but they didn’t know what it meant right away,” said Rachel. “They told me it could have side effects, but they won’t know them until she starts to grow up.”
Noticing something was different
After their 30-day NICU stay, Rachel and Mike were so excited to bring their new baby home. Around 8-9 months old, they started to notice something different in Chloe’s movements.
When she was starting to roll over and move around more, she wasn’t utilizing her right hand. The family brought Chloe to Children’s Minnesota’s physical medicine and rehabilitation program for an evaluation.
Coming to Children’s Minnesota
Rachel is a certified public accountant (CPA) and works in the finance department at Children’s Minnesota. So, when she needed a spot to have Chloe evaluated, she knew Children’s Minnesota was the only spot for her family.
“To me, there was never a question for choosing Children’s Minnesota,” said Rachel.
After being evaluated, Chloe was diagnosed with a mild case of spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which is a condition that affects muscle tone, movement and coordination. Chloe’s condition specifically affects the right side of her body including her arm, hand and leg. Chloe wears orthotics and braces on her legs to help her walk.
Chloe’s occupational and physical therapy experience
Chloe’s parents immediately enrolled her in the rehab program at Children’s Minnesota after the first visit. As Chloe has grown up through the program, the occupational and physical therapists have been there for her and her parents every step of the way.
“We’ve spent so much time at the rehab clinic in various modalities, it’s really become a comfort zone for us,” Rachel said. “We’re treated like family there.”
Rachel and Mike expect Chloe to be in the program for the foreseeable future and they’re grateful to have the team they do.
“Nobody can tell the future, but as Chloe gets older, it’s become very real that she will need some assistance throughout her life as she won’t be able to fully function on the right side of her body,” Rachel said. “But right now, the focus is on giving her confidence on how she can use her body even if it might not be the same way as others.”
The team at Children’s Minnesota is helping Chloe accomplish skills and tasks to help her be independent. They teach different techniques to help her get dressed, use the bathroom, put on a jacket and more.
“As a parent, you always want to help your child,” Rachel said. “But there is a point where you have to let them use the skills they learned and figure out how to do it on their own.”
Rachel says it’s been a learning curve for her and her husband. The therapists have helped train them to encourage Chloe to use the different techniques she’s learned in therapy.
“The team really cheerleads us and reminds us not to worry,” said Rachel. “They cheerlead Chloe too. They remind us that Chloe is going to be great and she’s learning so much.”
Chloe today
Today, Chloe is 4 years old. The focus of Chloe’s rehab changes about every 3-6 months. They help her with different techniques and skills as she ages.
Everyone who meets Chloe can tell she’s a determined kid.
“If she wants to do something, she will,” said Rachel. “She has a tenacious attitude and is determined to get things done, even if it looks a little different, she doesn’t care.”
Rachel and Mike love watching Chloe thrive.
As Chloe grows up, she’ll continue to see the therapists in the rehab program at Children’s Minnesota and her training will change as she ages.
“I’m glad we are a patient family at Children’s Minnesota because it’s important to me to have a place that’s well rounded in every specialty and have a continuum of care,” Rachel said. “It gives me comfort.”
