Heartspring Outcomes - Meet Nathaniel

Pediatric Services Outcomes

Abbie Adam Austin Ayana Cara Danya Jack Jacob Julie Mariz Megan Nathaniel Noah Preslie Quinn Robbie Rylee Wyatt Zane Zoe 2007 Year in Revew

“Having a child like Nathaniel is very hard. You have an idea of what it’s going to be like having a baby, but nothing prepares you for a child with disabilities. At first there were no rewards with Nathaniel. It was all work. Later there were rewards – a smile or a laugh. You don’t take that for granted. You realize what miracle it is.”
- Stephanie, Nathaniel’s mom

Nathaniel

Watch Video of Nathaniel's Mom What Nathaniel's Mom has to say

As the doctor brought baby Nathaniel into the world he was not breathing.

Efforts by the delivery room staff helped Stephanie and Mike hear what they had anxiously awaited – Nathaniel’s first breath. Later that night in the birth care room, he suffered 5 grand mal seizures and was diagnosed as having lack of oxygen at birth. At five months, Nathaniel had an MRI. The results confirmed his parents’ fears. He suffered much more than slight brain damage. Nathaniel had global brain damage. He was also then diagnosed with seizure disorder and cerebral palsy. Nathaniel started coming to Heartspring when he was four months old. Now six years old, Nathaniel receives physical, occupational and speech therapies, keeping his muscles loose as to not let his cerebral palsy deform his young bones and learning new techniques for communication such as using eye gaze and electronic toys. Nathaniel’s family members are wonderful supporters of Heartspring. His grandmother, siblings and cousins even had a lemonade stand to raise money for Heartspring last June.

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