Twins with Cerebral Palsy Walk for First Time After Life-Altering Operation

posted on Nov 08 by Guest Author in the Cerebral Palsy, Disability News, Health category

Six-year-old Scottish twins, Ellie and Laurie Finlayson, were born with cerebral palsy and had lived their whole lives from wheelchairs–until a few weeks ago. Thanks to a groundbreaking surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy, which was performed six months ago by renowned surgeon Dr. T.S. Park at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri, Ellie and Laurie can now walk.

These days the twins’ wheelchairs are tucked away in the trunk of their car at their home in Kilmarnock, Scotland. “We don’t know whether to give the wheelchairs away, but Laurie said he’d like to take them straight to the dump,” said Richard.

Laurie told the Daily Record that last Christmas he wanted another set of legs. This year he’s got his sights on a pair of football boots. Ellie wants dancing shoes, something she’s always wanted. She stands up slowly from the family room couch and gingerly places one foot in front of the other, smiling broadly as the parents look on.

“Both kids are very keen to try because they suddenly have sensation in their legs, and they can feel their muscles trying to work for the first time, so they have so much more confidence now,” said Isobel. She heard about an operation performed at the St. Louis Hospital in Missouri that could make her children’s dream of walking a reality.

“I wanted them to do simple things, like dance and football,” explained Isobel. “We knew the risks–one was they’d [be] paralyzed for life,” she added, but they were perfect candidates for the procedure, and her maternal instincts told her they would be okay.

The operation needed to be done before the twins’ seventh birthday, which comes at the end of this year. They needed to come up with £110,000 ($177,000 USD) for the surgeries, but the Finlaysons had drained all their life savings on the twins’ physical therapy. They started the Ellie and Laurie Fund to raise money for the surgery, and it didn’t take long for money to start pouring in from all over Scotland.

The fund raised £145,000 ($234,000 USD) in just six months, of which £10,000 ($16,000 USD) was collected in tins placed on counter tops in shops all across Ayrshire County, Scotland. The fundraising effort continued right until the family left for St. Louis.

The twins underwent surgery four days after they arrived in Missouri. They were asked what flavor of gas they wanted as doctors placed anesthetic masks over their little faces. Ellie wanted cotton candy. Laurie’s request made everyone laugh–he wanted beef olives. “He settled for sugar candy instead,” Richard said.

The procedure involved two surgeries. In the first, Dr. Park cut a two-inch section from the spine, then meticulously picked each nerve and sent a current through each one to see if a signal transmitted to the brain. Non-working nerves were cut in order to allow the functional ones to work properly.

This initial stage of the operation was successful, but the twins endured painful spasms because they were off their muscle-relaxant medication. “It was painful afterwards, and that was probably the worst thing. We weren’t prepared for that,” said Isobel. “But now they are off the medication for life and the spasms have stopped.”

The second surgery was performed two weeks later to lengthen the heel tendons and hamstrings.

“Their courage and determination has been amazing. Especially after the pain from the first op,” said Isobel.

The twins took their first steps outside in the fresh autumn air mere days after they first arrived at the hospital and remarkably progressed ever since. They will need more physical therapy, which their parents plan to pay for out the fund. Doctors said they may need three to five years of therapy, more or less depending on their progress. One look at their determined young faces, and there’s no doubt these two siblings will exceed expectations.

Isobel states, “Ellie is finding it easier at this stage, and she’s looking forward to dancing lessons. Although ballet on tip-toes might be difficult, so it might be cheerleading to start with. She’ll be able to do those high kicks no problem now,” she laughed as Ellie looked on, beaming.

Ellie added, “I was a bit scared at first. But I got lots of cuddles from mum and dad. And Dr. Park was a really nice man. Now I like to practice walking and I want to dance.”

Laurie looks forward to playing football. He is especially excited about being able to go the stadium to watch his favorite team, the Kilmarnock Football Club, for the first time. He couldn’t go before because access with his wheelchair was difficult. The children still need ankle and leg supports, but eventually they will be able to put those right next to the wheelchairs they no longer need–and be no different than their classmates at school.

Isobel said, “We can never thank all the people who have run, walked, cycled, bungeed and bag packed to raise the money to make our kids’ dreams of walking come true.”

This sweet and hope-filled video was made before their surgeries:

Source:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/2011/10/26/cerebral-palsy-twins-ellie-and-laurie-finlayson-take-first-steps-after-life-changing-operation-86908-23516136/

Images source:
dailyrecord.co.uk
stltoday.mycapture.com

Video source:
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/254696-six-year-old-cerebral-palsy-twins-in-race-to-raise-110000-for-surgery/