Donate to Percy’s Journey to Mobility and Independence

Hello, my name is Valentina and I am a mother to three amazing children. Recently in May my eldest daughter Isabella who we call Percy began having symptoms of extremity weakness on the right side of her body. We went to her pediatrician and he recommended that we follow up with a Neurologist. About a week later her weakness took over and her right hand was no longer functioning. Her right leg was dragging while walking and she could not walk without falling into things. Her face also showed signs of paralysis on the right side. We immediately went to the Hospital where they moved her to the Pediatric ICU and delivered the most gut wrenching diagnosis that my 18 year old daughter had a stroke caused by a tumor in her brain that was bleeding. She was admitted and our lives were turned upside down. That was the beginning of long road for my baby who was getting ready to graduate High School, go to college and start her young adult life. Instead she was in the hospital getting tests done, blood work and slowly fading with her mobility. Three days later they performed a 6 1/2 hour brain surgery on her.

They removed the tumor and put two titanium plates in her head.

My world stopped still that day. I don’t remember breathing for 6 1/2 hours. Until Dr. Tomycz came to the waiting room and told me everything went just fine. He removed the tumor and they were waking Percy up. At that moment I took what felt like my first breath all day. I needed to see her though for my own mommy heart I needed to see her face and feel her skin. Sure enough, just a few minutes later they let my anxious heart come into her room and assist with waking her up. She was a ball of grogginess wrapped in bandages. She was super sleepy and it was a bit of a hard time waking her so sleeping is what I let her do. I just sat, weeped and prayed. I waited what felt like days for her to finally open her eyes and ask for a drink. I raced with tear filled eyes to grab her a cold beverage. A sip or two she took, a half a smile I got, and back to sleep she went.

We knew that things were going to get worst before better and that was to say the least. After hours and hours of sleeping she woke and reality set in. She was having a hard time speaking, remembering things, and even talking. I immediately questioned my every decision up to that point in fear that I made the wrong decision and maybe we needed to get a few more opinions before having done the surgery? But we were racing against time and the days leading up to surgery she was getting worst. So the decision was made and I had to just trust God.

A week after surgery she was transported to a Children's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center an hour away from our home. This temporarily became our home away from home. I made a promise to her that when she pack’s up to go home that is when I would too, and not a day before. Which is exactly what I did. I never left her side. I just couldn’t. I couldn’t imagine her there alone without me, and laying awake unable to sleep with all the hospital sounds of the night. I needed her to know I was there and she was safe.

Percy did 5,6,7+ therapies a day. From speech to physical, occupational, occular and even aqua therapy. Over the next month she worked her tail off to gain as much mobility back as she could. There was most certainly days where she wanted to throw in the towel and give up, but she knew she just couldn’t. Her future was riding on this and she didn’t see a wheelchair in her future so she continued to work hard. A little over a month later she finally made her way back home to start her out patient therapy and get back into the swing of things as normally or the new normal as can be.

I am so so proud of how far she has come and her perseverance in this whole situation. Now here we are three months to the day today that she has had her brain surgery and started this road to recovery. She’s still working on getting her life back, but luckily her speech has come back and her memory is no longer a problem either (another blessing from god). She is still working daily on gaining mobility on her right hand and hasn’t given up. There is a device that was just tested on at her hand at the therapy facility which is remote controlled and stimulates her nerves and moves her hand open and close. It is truly a remarkable device and her body took very well to it.

As for her walking she is walking again. However she isn’t walking like she normally would before this all began but she’s still able to get out of her chair and walk a bit. She does therapy every day which helps so much however, she is still falling a lot and is so off balance. At therapy they also tested her with two devices that move her leg and help her walk with more balance and help her go up and down the stairs with less falls and more balance. This showed as

a big success and helped her so much! The smile on her face says it all.

These devices are truly remarkable and she took so well to it. It was truly something she instantly felt more confident using. Unfortunately these devices are not covered by insurance and range from $4,500 - $5,500 each. Our insurance coverage for the therapy facility is also finishing up this last week in August. We are going to see if we can get her into an Adult physical therapy location for continued therapy and hopefully the insurance will cover it. She is still not functional on her right arm and hand, as well as her vision out of her right eye. Her walking capabilities with her right leg is not where it needs to be and she is still unfortunately frequently falling.

We would really love to get these 3 Bioness devices to continue to help her and give her the mobility that she needs while continuing to try and gain that mobility with her own muscles. Anything you can help donate so Percy can get these devices would be greatly appreciated and if you are unable to donate then please just help spread the word to get her story out there so people who can help see this and do. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Percy’s story and prayers are always accepted too.

Thank you and please let’s help get Percy back to being mobile enough on her own so she is able to start her young college student life with little to no help at all. Thank you!