Kristina's World: Recovery from Childhood Stroke - BodiMojo

On March 23, 2010, Kristina came home from school with a splitting headache, nausea and a limp. She was 14 years old. She was living in a busy household of six, including a younger sister (age 10) newly diagnosed with Type I diabetes. No one seemed to take her complaints seriously.

Here was a young teen girl at the top of the heap in middle school, a full schedule, and on club teams for hockey and soccer. She called her mom and told that she did not feel well and so she stayed home. Pretty reasonable. Her parents went about their workdays and shuttling her siblings to their afterschool sports. All the while Kristina was growing more miserable.

Later, her older sister came home from high school to find Kristina sprawled the bathroom floor near vomit. Kristina remarked, ?My sister?s first comment was ?what trouble have you been in today?? Like had I been drinking or something. Me!?? Leave it to a big sis to think the worst, but she was clearly worried for Kristina.

Once her mom ? a nurse ? came home she was rushed to local emergency room. The ER doctor ruled out any substances but discovered an unusually high white blood cell count ? which often means the body is fighting an infection. Two days later, at The Children?s Hospital in Boston, the doctors determined that Kristina had suffered a stroke.

We don?t often think that a child is susceptible to a stroke or heart disease. But many children are affected all over the world by various types of heart diseases. In some cases, the disease may be due to a congenital problem; to environmental circumstances like malnutrition; or to a specific condition, such as sickle cell disease.

Sometimes there is a news story about baby with a hole in his or her heart and the miraculous surgery that followed. But rarely do we hear about children and heart disease. Typically, heart disease is associated with older people or those with poor lifestyle habits, such as smoking or being overweight.

This Saturday, September 29, 2012, marks World Heart Day by the World Heart Federation (see infographic). The day is devoted to raising awareness about heart disease in children and women all over the globe. (#worldheartday)

According to The World Heart Federation the warning signs of stroke are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Fortunately, children who suffer a stroke often recover the use of their arms and legs, and their ability to speak ? although the course of healing is different for each child.

What transpired for Kristina next was truly a life challenge. For 18 months Kristina received physical and occupational therapy. She had to learn to walk again. Her recovery focused on strength, balance, mobility and handwriting. Her parents had her repeat the 8th grade, so she could recover as best as possible.? Imagine watching your best friends move on to high school and you can?t?

?Emotionally, it was very hard,? recalls Kristina. ?Not being able to be with my friends in school, or to play club hockey and soccer? I thought to myself, I?ll never be the same again.?

Kristina, now in 10th grade is back playing sports big time ? in fact, when interviewed for this article she was at home recovering from a concussion received at a recent ice hockey game (a whole other topic for teens).

?What got me through this was my family and my friends. They were so supportive.? Sometimes, my leg still gives out and I feel weak. My mom reminds me that there was a time when I couldn?t walk at all. That helps. But I still worry sometimes.?

Another wonderful inspiration for Kristina was New England?s Patriot football linebacker, Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a stroke on the football field in 2005. Kristina met him and she was invited to be a member of Tedy?s Team ? a group of runners who raise money for the American Stroke Association. She watched him finish his first marathon just last year with his wife, Heidi. Tedy met Kristina when she had her stroke and has encouraged her to work hard. He told her it will pay off as it did for him.

Kristina has turned her struggle into inspiration. She is now a patient advocate and speaks for the American Heart Association.?She visits middle schools to raise awareness about stroke, heart disease and heart health. A few weekends ago she participated in her first Boston Heart Walk. In a matter of just 2 weeks she raised over $4000!? Kristina, her nana, mom and friends walked with her, as did local news commentator Jonathan Hall and his daughter, Maddy, a?school friend of hers.?Everyday she feels more and more confident. Here?s how Kristina answered other questions about her experience.

What was it like to put a pair of hockey skates on after the stroke?

?When I first got on the ice it was all I could do. It was so overwhelming.? Everything. The fact of what happened ? I had been on a team that was trying out for nationals. And here I was.? Starting over. I just cried. Slowly I learned to do a few strides and to learn to stop again.?

Are there any funny moments that you remember about your recovery?

?My mom just reminded me of something. That when I was in the hospital I wrote to Justin Bieber.? The letter was returned. I guess I wrote the wrong address!?

Has this experience affected how you think about your future?

?This has opened so many doors for me and I?ve learned so much knowledge about children?s heart disease. To be able to speak at schools and events sponsored by the American Heart Association is incredible. ?Next month I?m speaking to a conference with hundreds of school health and physical education teachers from across the state. It?s amazing.?

Do you have thoughts about what you want to do later?

?When I was in the hospital and at rehab all the therapists and nurses were so nice. I was also able to see special needs teachers as they work with other children affected by heart disease. I hadn?t realized that babies could have heart disease or even have a stroke in the womb. That was just incredible to learn about. This has opened me up to so many possibilities for a career. It?s been inspiring. But first, I?m going to create a ?Kristina?s Team? to raise awareness about stroke and heart health.?

What do you want other teens to know? What?s the take away message?

?When I speak at middle schools, I tell the kids that it?s important to know that a stroke can happen to anyone. That it?s important to stay healthy and exercise and to know the symptoms of heart disease; recognize it and act fast if you think someone may be suffering from a stroke.?

Watch the video to see Kristina?s recovery process.? Share her story with friends. Open other people?s minds ? and hearts ?? to the reality of heart disease.

Resources:

Similarly Awesome Articles:

1. Heart Throbs for Healthy Teens

Source: http://www.bodimojo.com/blog/kristinas-world-recovery-from-childhood-stroke/

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