Meet our September Stroke Hero of the Month - Gabrielle (Gabby) Wade

Gabrielle, or Gabby, was born on September 15, 2006 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, near Anchorage, Alaska.  She weighed just 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and was about 19 inches long, the product of a seemingly uneventful pregnancy.  Her mom and dad, Sara and Aaron, were on active duty in the Air Force, with Sara (Gabby’s Mom) stationed in Alaska, and Aaron (Gabby’s Dad) in Japan.  Luckily, Sara's mother and stepfather lived close by, so they were able to assist Sara.

Gabby had a difficult time gaining weight after she was born.  She would put on weight, and before long she had lost some of it.  Her doctors were worried that she was suffering from "failure to thrive".  A great deal of effort was expended getting Gabby to drink formula.  It wasn't until she was about four months old that her doctors and family started getting even more concerned about Gabby's health.  There was a difference between how Gabby's left side worked versus her right, most noticeably in her arms and legs.  Most infants move their arms and legs fairly evenly on both sides, but Gabby primarily used her left arm and leg.  She would just let her right arm and leg rest.

Gabby had her first C.A.T. Scan and follow-up MRI when she was just six months old.  The doctors quickly realized that the left frontal lobe of her brain had not developed, most probably due to an in utero stroke.  So, Gabby's right side was not getting signals to move from the normal (left) side of her brain because it wasn't there.  Doctors didn't (and still don't) know exactly why she had the stroke, but once the cause of Gabby's physical challenges were known, the primary emphasis shifted to what could be done to help Gabby over come those challenges.

A therapeutic care team was quickly formed in Anchorage to begin teaching Gabby's right side to "listen" to the left side of her brain.  Joyce (an outstanding Physical Therapist) started a regimen of teaching Gabby to move both of her arms and legs.  Soon, Ellen (a gifted Occupational Therapist) started helping her learn skills that other infants can do without instinctively.  Speaking of thinking that's one activity Gabby seemingly had no problem doing.  She was always alert to what was going on around her and loved to mimic others' actions.  This was a tremendous help in both her physical and occupational therapy.  In addition to the clinical sessions, Gabby's family was given exercises for her to accomplish at home between sessions.  Molly (an incredible Speech Therapist) eventually rounded out "Gabby's team," teaching Gabby to start making sounds which would eventually be used to form words.  Aaron left the Air Force so he could join Sara and Gabby in Alaska; the family was finally together.

When 11 months old, Gabby underwent surgery to insert tubes into her ears to combat repeated ear infections.  While the surgery went well, she went into full respiratory arrest immediately following the operation.  This certainly had the potential to cause damage to her brain, and was a huge source of concern.  The main lesson learned from this experience was the knowledge that no future medical procedure for Gabby should ever be considered "routine".  The other lesson was to demand treatment from doctors well-versed in the special needs and procedures for children who have suffered strokes.  At 18 months, Gabby was diagnosed with chromosomal deletion, although her capabilities at the time already exceeded the norm for a child with the identified deletion. 

Gabby's brother William, was born when she was 20 months old.  Gabby was a helpful big sister whenever she could be, and thankfully William soon proved himself to be a healthy boy.  At 26 months, Gabby's continuing failure to gain weight prompted an operation to insert a feeding tube to allow supplementation of food she was eating normally.  William's normal growth, combined with Gabby's slow growth progress, caused them to "shift roles," where William started challenging her physically to accomplish things she hadn't done before.  Gabby became exceptionally proficient at getting around using her walker.  Last January, doctors identified an immune deficiency, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was initiated.

Having a physically-challenged child while serving in the military significantly increases the complexity of family life.  On the positive side, the Air Force has an Exceptional Family Member Program that helps ensure future assignment locations (like their December 2008 move to Charleston AFB) have the necessary medical treatment facilities available to handle special needs.  Gabby has greatly benefited from diagnosis and treatment at both military (Madigan Army Medical Center) and civilian (Duke University Medical Center) medical centers of excellence.  Extended family support is critical; with Aaron's return to active duty, detailed plans for both short and long-term care for Gabby and William in the event Sara and Aaron deploy simultaneously must be in place (and have been used).  In fact, Gabby and William were with Aaron's parents this past summer, and under their watchful eyes Gabby began walking independently.

Gabby has overcome incredible adversity in her first five years.  There hasn't been any single event, treatment, or therapeutic strategy that has been the singular key to her success.  Having a loving and nurturing family creates the solid foundation and security needed to allow progress.  Early diagnosis allowed the rapid formation of the superb therapeutic team at an age where Gabby was able to quickly learn and it yielded incredible and results.  Sara, Aaron along with other family have been tenacious in ensuring that Gabby gets the treatments she need which is critical in overcoming the various medical roadblocks.  Gabby's current abilities in mobility and speech have far exceeded many of her doctors' past optimistic predictions of her future capabilities.  Without a doubt, the biggest factor in Gabby's progress in beating the effects of her stroke has been Gabby.  Her can-do (yes, sometimes stubborn) and positive attitude seldom falters.  She has already tolerated more medical procedures than most people experience in their life time.  Gabby continues to amaze and inspire family and friends with her exceptional progress.

Gabby epitomizes the character of Childhood Stroke SURVIVORS; finding the inner strength to overcome the challenges presented by the Stroke phenomenon while our society as a whole struggles with the diagnosis.  She is yet another example that proves early diagnosis and treatment can have a lasting, substantive impact on a child’s prognosis and quality of life.  It is obvious to those of us with Brendon’s Smile that Gabby has made a lasting impression on those who know and love her; she certainly has on us!

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