"At the beginning, it seemed like everything was finally going to be okay," recalls Rebecca, whose son, Bryant, is a Gillette patient.  Although she had a difficult pregnancy, filled with complications, when Bryant was born he appeared healthy.  He rolled over on time, at 3 months, but when it came time for him to begin sitting up, he seemed unable to do so. 

"Doctors elsewhere kept running test after test, and saying nothing was wrong, until he was 13 months old,' Rebecca recalls.  "Then he was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy."  Shortly thereafter, she heard about Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.  Bryant has been coming here ever since.

Today, the 14-year-old has high tone (abnormally stiff, or spastic, muscles) in his arms and legs.  He uses a wheelchair to get around.  He's also undergone various treatments for spasticity.  "Change is always hard for me," his mother says.  "But each time we do something new, whether it's a new wheelchair, or a baclofen pump, or new braces, or something else, it always opens my eyes to how much it helps Bryant."

Bryant uses a Dynavox, a computerized communication device that helps him communicate, especially at school.  "Bryant has gone to school with the same children since kindergarten," Rebecca explains.  "They are really good about including him, and the Dynavox makes it easier for him to take part."

She adds that the two are grateful for the care Bryant has received at Gillette.  "The Gillette team is part of Bryant's team," she says.  "They've educated us, listened to us, and been happy to address any of our concerns."

<< Back to Meet the Kids