Matthew S. - Quilt Finished in 2009
Born: July 22, 1993
Illness: Transverse Myelitis and Anoxic brain injury
Matthew S.'s Story
Written by Matthew's mom Dona
Matthew was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (Richland Children's Hospital) on Sun., Oct. 19th 2008 with Transverse Myelitis which cut off his breathing thus causing a severe brain injury.
As of 10/19/08, Matthew was a vital, healthy young man at Chapin High School (South Carolina). On that afternoon his arms became paralyzed and he said, "Call 911 I can't breath." He had 9 hours of status epilepticus seizures. This caused an extensive anoxic brain injury. He is completely unable to breath on his own, he cannot move at all, and we are dealing now with the auspices of cognition. The prognosis is a wait and see...give it time...and don't give up. After 2 months in Palmetto Health PICU, Matthew was flown to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, the nation's leading spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation hospital. The family has been divided with Matthew's mom (Dona) travelling to Baltimore to stay with him there. Soon after, me (Dad) had two cervical discs rupture into the spinal cord requiring "urgent" surgery. I am in the family home recovering and looking after Ryan. On Easter Sunday, I (Dad) was in a car accident and suffered a left broken wrist. (I am left handed)
Recent developments have shown that Matthew has regained sensations in his legs (there are three people who swear he moved a foot). we are shifting focus to the brain injury (rather than focusing on the spinal cord injury as before). What this means? Who knows? We hope that the staff at Kennedy Krieger will see it fit to put him through a comprehensive rehabilitation program. This would extend his current planned discharge date past April 1st, but we are ready for that.
On May 8, 2009, Dona and Matthew returned home to South Carolina. At home Matthew has 24/7 nursing and some therapies during the week. We move on and take each day as it comes hoping to see baby steps of progress for Matthew.
Now, December 2010. Nothing much has changed. There are some glints of cognition and some very slight movements. Matthew can answer some yes/no questions and has been heard to say "no." Additionally, he nods his head for "yes." therapies remain in place, nursing remains inconsistent, and we struggle through each day. He remains at home where (still) he can get better care than at any hospital or institution. Hope has changed to faith as this has not become one bit less overwhelming as it was two years ago. He is still relaint on the cursed ventilator for breathing and we try different pharmacologic interventions to increase cognition and cerebral vascularity. Support from people is one of the pillars of strength we've grown to rely upon since we have been stricken with this tragedy.
