Connecting With Care
Erica was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 4, while living in an overcrowded orphanage in China.
“Erica was found as a baby in front of a hospital in China, potentially on the day she was born,” said Eve, Erica's mom. “It is likely her CP was caused by lack of medical care at birth.”
Her parents, Eve and Jeremy, were open to the idea of adopting a child with special needs, and began looking at photos of children who needed a home. While flipping through the photo books, they came across Erica. “I knew immediately,” Eve recalled. “I saw the photo and said, ‘That’s my kid.’”
Sure enough, after months of trudging through the international adoption process, Erica came to the U.S. with her parents and older brother. Her parents took her to the International Adoption Center at University of Kentucky, which referred her to Shriners Children’s Lexington for the orthopedic care related to her cerebral palsy.
Her care at Shriners Children’s Lexington started with regular injections that helped relax the muscles in her lower extremities. “She took her first steps without a walker just two weeks after getting her first injections,” Eve said.
After that, Dr. Prusick and Susan McDowell, M.D., monitored Erica’s condition as she grew. She was wearing ankle foot orthoses (AFOs), but was still falling, so the doctors recommended surgery.
Walking With More Confidence
“The goal was to improve her foot positioning,” Dr. Prusick said. “Prior to surgery, Erica’s feet pointed inward significantly and caused her to trip. By performing tibial osteotomies we were able to position her feet in a straight-forward position to decrease the interference her feet were having on each other.”
“After the surgeries, her feet don’t drag as much and she has less risk of falling,” Eve added.
Dr. Prusick was also able to complete preliminary paperwork to get Erica approved to wear electric stimulation knee devices that send signals to target muscles that make her foot flex more appropriately while she walks.
“It’s amazing how much difference the devices have made,” Eve said.
Looking Ahead
While medical advances have been a critical part of Erica’s journey, her attitude is just as important. “Erica is joy personified,” Eve said. “She has an infectious joy. When she’s around someone, she makes them more joyful.”
Behind her ear-to-ear grin, Erica shared that she likes Legos and puzzles. She loves Grogu, a character from Disney’s The Mandalorian, often referred to as “Baby Yoda.” “Her whole room is Baby Yoda,” Eve said with a chuckle.
Erica enjoys playing basketball and baseball, and attending a worship service at her church designed specifically for individuals with special needs and their families.
For Eve and Jeremy, Shriners Children’s Lexington has been a safe place for the family to explore new options to make Erica’s life better. “We truly appreciate the eagerness to keep finding new things to help Erica,” Eve said. “Shriners is always looking ahead. Just like with this MAC study, they are measuring and using this information to ask, ‘How can we advance her life through medicine?’”
