Our Miracle Child
Leah Hansen
Meet Leah!
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals 2020 New Jersey Champion Child!
An outstanding third grade softball player known for her infectious smile and tenacity on the field, nine-year-old Leah was playing with her sister when she began to experience tingling in her fingers. Rushed to the emergency room, 12 hours later Leah was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to move. Leah remained in the hospital, a quadriplegic with no known prognosis.
Her parents, Abby and Peter, were terrified for their daughter and for their family.Trying to escape this nightmare, each night, Abby prayed, “Maybe when we wake up she’ll be fine.”
Finally there was a diagnosis: a spinal cord stroke. Only 2% of all strokes originate in the spinal cord and they are almost unheard of in young, healthy children.
Abby and her husband Peter knew about Children’s Specialized Hospital from friends and family and were certain that Children’s Specialized was the best place for Leah’s greatest chance of recovery. When she arrived at CSH, Leah had difficulty breathing on her own. She had some muscle control of her right leg and could wiggle her toes, but she was in extreme pain. It hurt even to be touched.
Over the next eight weeks, Leah received physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Aqua therapy was her favorite, and it was in the water that Leah took her first steps following her stroke. Abby credits the doctors and therapists at CSH for Leah’s miraculous recovery. “Without the non-stop energy, smiles, and hard work of her therapists, Leah’s story wouldn’t be as successful as it is. We know we chose the right place for Leah.”
Immediately following her inpatient hospital stay, Leah began outpatient physical and occupational therapies at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. For the past nine months, she has been working hard with her therapists to improve her core strength and increase the function of her left hand. She has been doing so well that she recently graduated from her physical therapy sessions and now continues to work on her exercises at home!
Leah is a resilient young girl and she is adjusting to her challenges. Abby and Peter are so proud of Leah and emphasize, “Leah doesn’t let anything hold her back!” To that point, even though Leah can’t move her left hand, she chose to play the trombone. With her father’s help, they built a stand to hold the trombone while she plays, and she’s now in the 5th grade orchestra. Leah recently ran a 5k with her family, she loves to ski, and she’s even back on the softball field!
Leah Hansen is a true champion!
