"You don't want to hear those words," says Kim Grant.
The words she's talking about are "cerebral palsy" -- the diagnosis that her daughter, Teagan, received only a few weeks ago. Born severely premature, Teagan is more than 2 years old and still can't sit unsupported. So her parents saw it coming. Still, those words -- once finally spoken -- came as a blow.
But, as usual, the Grants rallied. "We look at it as another opportunity to prove them wrong," Kim says. "I kind of look at it as our next challenge." After all, there was a time when no one thought Teagan would even survive.
Teagan Grant was born 16 weeks early in June 2007 and spent her first seven months in the hospital. She went home still dependent on a ventilator and feeding tube. The second chapter of "The Price of Miracles" chronicled the lives of Teagan and her parents, Kim and Joe, during her first year home in Pawtucket.
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At home in Pawtucket, R.I., Teagan practices standing with her mother, Kim. |
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This month, we caught up with Kim and Teagan at Greenlock Therapeutic Riding in Rehoboth, where Teagan goes for "hippotherapy" -- riding a pony to strengthen her neck and back muscles. Watch a video
Teagan has made considerable progress in the past year. She no longer needs a ventilator or even supplemental oxygen, breathing entirely on her own. The tracheostomy tube in her neck is scheduled to be removed in the spring. Meanwhile, her "trach" has a speaking valve that forces air into her mouth and nose -- and enables her to vocalize. Once consigned to silence, Teagan now cries, babbles and sometimes says "Hi."
Teagan has also learned to eat -- a challenge for a child who was entirely tube-fed for so long. She eats two to three ounces each meal, three times a day, but still needs supplementary tube feedings.
The Grants still get 16 hours a day of home nursing care, and Teagan regularly undergoes one-on-one physical, occupational and speech therapy.
At Greenlock, Teagan works with physical therapist Laurel Welch. Strapped into a supportive vest, Teagan sits on a pony named Pumpkin, a U-shaped cushion (her "boppy") in front of her as Welch and two assistants hold her steady. They walk down the driveway and back to the stable.
"Right now, we're trying to work on mostly head control and trunk control," Welch explains. "The movement of the horse challenges that head control."
Since starting the hippotherapy, Kim says, "we've noticed a big difference in her. … Teagan's getting stronger." At home, Teagan can stand up in a walker.
When she turns 3, Teagan will transition from the Early Intervention program to the Pawtucket school system. If the School Department is able to provide the services she needs, Teagan will attend school in town. Otherwise, the schools will pay for her education elsewhere. Kim is hoping Teagan will attend her neighborhood school, the Flora S. Curtis School.
Despite her physical challenges, Teagan is smart, says Kim. "Cognitively, she's doing very well," Kim says. "I think when Teagan goes to kindergarten, she'll do fantastic with her ABCs."
Now, when Kim needs to go out, Teagan understands as Kim explains where she's going and when she'll be back -- and greets her mom with joyful excitement when she returns.
"She's a good girl," Kim says. "We're very fortunate."
ffreyer@projo.com
