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Once he dreamed of a daughter, now Eglė from Kaunas wants him to have one: to be healthy and, if not, to meet dolphins at least next summer.
Good start
“If you can, call in an hour. We just got back from Kaunas, so at least we want to get undressed and have dinner,” the voice on the phone acted reassuringly, although it did not know Eglė. Only in cyberspace had I seen her smile as she hugged my daughter Elijah to her chest.
Out of curiosity, I inquired into the roots of the girl’s name. It turns out that the name Elijah, derived from the Hebrew language, means: The Lord is my Lord. Eglė looked at her alone in a similar way. True, there was much more to his gaze: extraterrestrial love intertwined with care, hope, and infinite faith. I am the mother of two daughters, I know they are my strength, so I did not want to go boldly to Eglė’s palace. I let my conversation flow. So, word for word, I heard from her lips the story of a strong woman to whom each of us can contribute.
First, the woman recalled her pregnancy, which was smooth and easy, like a textbook. The fruit developed well, Egle was full of strength, so there was no reason to worry. During the last month of the woman’s pregnancy, during a routine examination, the doctor found that the amniotic fluid was low, so the expectant mother was sent to the hospital. There it was decided to promote childbirth. Like the nine-month wait, on January 13, 2017. Elijah’s arrival in the world was swift and smooth. Neither the mother nor the newborn experienced complications, so after the obligatory days, Egle and her baby returned home, where they began to write the story of the two. As it soon became clear, under a different scenario than all mothers expect.
Elijah is his mother’s greatest inspiration and peacegiver. (Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis)
Months with splint
In her early months, the girl grew up like her other peers. Gugavo greeted his mother and the surrounding environment with a smile. According to Egle, Elijah brought a lot of love, warmth, light and little worries to the house. The latter started when the girl was two months old. After a visit to an orthopedist, he was diagnosed with right hip dysplasia, a condition in which the development of the hip joint is behind the norm due to congenital changes in the joint or certain postpartum conditions. The main problem is the instability of the femoral head in the articular fossa, the abnormal shape of the femoral head and the articular fossa. The pathology is usually treated with special straps or orthopedic pillows. While the mother was concerned about how such a small baby in splints would be away for two months, the doctor calmed down.
“He said that time would pass quickly, that everything would improve and that the inconveniences he had experienced would be forgotten. Unfortunately, two months were not enough. It took the same,” said Eglė, the girl compensating for the movements of her legs immobilized with splints.
While in bed, he took the toys that were hanging over his head and seemed to be trying to talk about them.
The experience of other patients shows that a complex of similar procedures can improve Elijah’s quality of life.
A cluster of diseases has been identified
The half anniversary was marked by the absence of tablets. It is true that after four months of restraints covering the legs and the back area, the baby could not sit or sit. Specialists recommended educating the girl, attending exercises and massages. These, as Egle recalls, made Elijah feel extremely unpleasant. She tensed and cried.
“The specialist did not emphasize the daughter’s behavior and continued the procedures. Of course, as a mother, it was very painful for me to hear and see Elijah’s tears, but I trusted the specialist,” the daughter’s condition did not improve after ten massages. courses, according to Egle.
On the contrary, he noticed that the girl began to behave differently. He became more sensitive to touches, more irritable with the environment, and he became faster. A week after the recommended vaccination for babies for six months, the baby changed dramatically: he no longer maintained eye contact, stopped laughing, and his hands began to shake. Elijah was also not interested in her toys.
Rehabilitation centers in Slovakia or Poland are Egle’s biggest dream, to which everyone can contribute. (Personal file photo)
“We started attending physical therapy classes to develop development. During one of those sessions, the physical therapist noticed that Elijah’s eyes were delayed during movement. He advised me to go see a neurologist. Then I realized that that something was wrong with my girlfriend, “he confirmed.
After an MRI of the brain and a repeat encephalogram examination, Elijah was diagnosed with the absence of a large brain connection, optic nerve subatrophy. Doctors confirmed that the girl had epilepsy, spasmodic cerebral palsy and microcephaly.
I found a private clinic
After hearing not one, but at least several diagnoses from the daughter, Egle’s dirt slid under her feet. The woman did not know what to drink and what to expect from the future. Hormonal drugs and rehabilitation have been prescribed to treat epilepsy. Although the girl had infatural spasms, her mother saw no other improvement. In addition, the hormonal medications weakened the immune system so much that the girl was rushed to the intensive care unit due to pneumonia. And although he was soon free of that disease, Elijah’s general condition worsened.
“Head control weakened, she became more sleepy, she did not acquire new abilities. In addition, new epilepsy attacks appeared ”, according to Egle, there were days in which he counted around 40 attacks. In a situation that many of us would call desperate, Egle did not give up. Looking for ways to help my loved one. Mom started taking the girl to the speech therapist, physical therapist and occupational therapist. We visit sanitariums.
“We also tried acupuncture. I found it was a little easier for her daughter after that,” said Egle, who was little reassured by the instant improvements.
The woman realized the need for more serious treatment. Thus, a private Kaunas clinic appeared in Eglė’s view, where one of Elijah’s strongest physiotherapists and other much-needed specialists works.
The turning point is the fifth year
Four, and since January and five times, a woman from Birštonas comes to the clinic in Kaunas, where the girl exercises, meets with a speech therapist, occupational therapy and neurotraining classes. The latter, according to Egle, is recommended to Elijah 150 per year.
“The experience of other patients shows that a complex of similar procedures can improve Elijah’s quality of life.” Although the daughter still does not feel alone, walk or speak, the mother was pleased with the benefits of the therapies and the little ones daughter’s achievements.
This is supposed to propel her forward. And if for a moment you succumb to emotions, you are ashamed to be a little fighter.
Trust me, what you do in the clinic takes a lot of effort. Elijah tolerates exercise well, puts in a lot of effort, but the body doesn’t always respond easily to therapies. It requires constant and persistent work. Therefore, the treatment cannot last more than three months. “Of course, there are two sides to that respite. Of course, the girl will rest and come back with new strength, but during that time, something will go wrong again,” Eglė said.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
This year is crucial for Elijah, because the biggest changes, according to experts, can be achieved in up to five. Therefore, after a short vacation, which Egle dreams of spending by the sea, it is necessary for Elijah to continue with the course of treatment, which costs around 600 euros a month at the Kaunas clinic. For a woman who is unable to work due to her daughter’s illness, this amount is quite high. There is another alternative that requires much more costs, but is also more promising.
“We dream of going to strong rehabilitation centers in Slovakia or Poland, where I believe Elijah would receive all the help he needs,” Egle thanked everyone who would contribute to the dream of both of them in advance.
Do you want to see dolphins?
How is spruce day now? The woman made no secret of living at the pace dictated by her daughter Elijah.
“We get up in the morning, have breakfast, then go to Kaunas. We come home in the afternoon. We eat, sleep, then play, exercise on a gymnastic ball, because Elijah likes it very much, or we do the tasks assigned by specialists At 9 pm, my daughter goes to bed, “he said. Mom was happy that the girl’s dreams were sweet.
She usually falls asleep quietly until the morning, so Egle can spend at least a few minutes on herself. Then a good book or small weights end up in your hands.
However, much more often in the palms of her mother’s hands are singing books and educational toys, which she plays together with Elijah.
“My daughter has no favorite toys because, like I said, she cannot take them herself. I am her best friend and toy. And she is an inspiration and a source of peace to me. Everyone says that she sees her at least once. “Eglė said before ending the conversation. about the weaknesses of a child’s daughter. Ice cream, chocolate and … dolphins.
It turns out that nothing less than his mother’s voice soothes Elijah and recordings with the sounds of these marine mammals give good emotions. Eglė hoped that next year he would be able to make an appointment with the beauties of the sea and perhaps even try a healing therapy. The researchers say that dolphins have a good sense of human mood, they understand gestures, so their therapy is described as extremely effective for children with health problems. The touch of this animal alone affects a person in a special way and evokes positive emotions.
Photo by Vytautas Petrikas
“This year we will not be able to do it, because there are very long queues. But next year, I think we will do it,” Eglė seemed to illustrate the lyrics of the song “Beyond the forest, beyond the mountains” with his smile and his bright eyes: “Do not be sad if it is difficult. It is time to dream. It is important to be very willing, try and believe.”
Disaster relief
The Caring Heart Charity and Support Foundation helps families raise seriously ill or disabled children. Thanks to the benefactors and the support collected by the foundation, the support is provided to cover the necessary needs of the child, that is, their daily services are paid, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy classes. Support is provided by medical, hygiene products, vitamins, and supplements.
“The Charity and Support Foundation organizes patient trips to the Olinek Rehabilitation Center in Poland. There is not yet a rehabilitation center of this level in Lithuania, we choose the closest one with competent specialists. Each case is different, so we always maintain a sincere relationship with the host families. I could ask for help “, – Gabrielė Vaitekūnaitė, project manager of the Charity and Support Foundation” Careful Heart “, asked other families whose shoulders are covered by such difficult tests not to be afraid and ask help. necessary. The “Caring Hearts” community, according to the project manager, is growing and willingly helping disadvantaged people.
You can help Elijah and his mother
A / S LT807300010144236452
Recipient: “Caring Heart”
PURPOSE: Support Elijah
“Swedbank” AB
Bank code 73000
Paypal: https: //www.paypal.com/donatehosted_button_id=LURRUWNCMFWGS
Send an SMS to the number 1670 with the word AUKA (the SMS costs 5 euros)
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
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