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| Vol. 23, No. 1 |
| January 15, 2001 |
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Shriners Paves The Way For CP Patient By Michelle Kloesel Shriners Hospitals for Children-Houston Physical therapy has become a way of life for six-year-old Nathan Guerra. Born with cerebral palsy and spastic muscles, Nathan undergoes 30-minute physical therapy sessions twice a day - every day. Nathan came into this world prematurely, weighing only two pounds and two ounces and with an intraventricular bleed. As he became a toddler, walking became virtually impossible due to the continual tightening of his leg muscles, which caused his legs to bend and turn in. His parents didn't know where to turn until they found out about Shriners Hospitals for Children-Houston on a television public service announcement.
"We sent in an application, and Nathan was admitted within a few months," said Sandra Guerra, Nathan's mother. "Shriners Hospital was the miracle we were praying for. He has been a patient there since he was three-years-old." Dr. Douglas Barnes, assistant chief of staff, and Kim Ramey, physical therapist, have overseen Nathan's treatment since day one. It began with a series of low-dose Botox injections, in conjunction with serial casting and physical therapy, to combat the muscle tightness in his legs. He received the Botox injections in his calf muscles, hamstrings and groin muscles when he was four and five years old. In between injections, Nathan was put in long casts on both legs. He was able to gain mobility by using a walker. "The next phase was surgery, but we waited until he was emotionally and physically ready to tolerate such a major procedure," said Ramey. Because of Nathan's condition, physical therapy was a daily necessity to keep his muscles stretched and exercised. With his family living in Pasadena, Texas, Nathan was put on a home therapy program, in which his parents could provide physical therapy to Nathan every day. "From the beginning of his treatment, we were taught how to stretch Nathan's legs and perform his exercises at home," said Guerra. "The physical therapists at Shriners have always been accessible to me if I have questions about how to do something correctly." In August 2000, Nathan finally underwent multiple soft tissue releases to both legs. During this six-hour procedure, Nathan's groin muscles and hamstrings were released, his legs were surgically corrected, and the rectus part of his quadriceps were connected to other muscles on the inside of his legs. Post-surgery, Nathan wore long leg and short leg casts until the customized braces being made for him were ready. About a week after surgery, Nathan was back at home. His parents followed the prescribed physical therapy regime at their home. When his bones healed, Nathan began outpatient therapy at the hospital twice a day, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., for three weeks. Today, Nathan's legs are straight and he can walk without any assistive devices. His parents follow a twice-a-day physical therapy routine at home, and Nathan only comes to the hospital for a therapy session with Ramey once a week. "I truly feel that if Nathan had not obtained intervention from physical therapists and orthopedic physicians, he would not be able to walk today. His muscles would have been so tight, he'd be in a crouched position with his knees bent," said Ramey. "Because Shriners Hospitals is a non-profit organization, it allows me the freedom to set and meet goals for patients like Nathan, which is extremely rewarding." Recently, Nathan gave advice to another Shriners patient who was about to have the same surgery. He told her to "breathe, relax and pray." This was pretty profound advice from a six-year-old.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/01_15_01/page_15.html |
