Tommy was born a happy and healthy boy. He loves reading, being outside, and his animal brothers and sister. He has always been very aware of his surroundings and interested in what is going on in the world around him.
We noticed around 6 months that he was missing some of his milestones, like rolling or sitting. He also had poor head, trunk, and arm control, so we spoke with his pediatrician and the state-run Early Intervention program for children with developmental delays. He qualified for Early intervention assistance, confirming large delays in his fine and gross motor skills.
We then met with a neurologist who suspected Cerebral Palsy. An MRI confirmed that he suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (lack of oxygen to the brain at or around the time of birth). Shortly after the MRI, a rehab specialist also confirmed Tommy's diagnosis of spastic triplegia cerebral palsy.
Tommy has been attending weekly in-patient and out-patient physical and occupational therapies since we learned of his delays, and has recently been to Florida for a specialized two week intensive therapy (D.M.I., or Dynamic Movement Intervention) which was amazing for him and seems to have kick-started his development (and his love of barn animals).
We've enrolled him in a training course as a demonstration child in Ontario upcoming in March, and we've scheduled a second two-week intensive course in Florida for April. He has a tremendous support system, and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to get him every opportunity to develop alongside his peers with as few limitations as possible.
This website was created with the intent to share Tommy's journey with anyone who would like to help support him, anyone who would like to see him grow and thrive, and for anyone who is experiencing anything similar to see that it's never something you need to experience alone.
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