My Story
My name is Alex and I was born with a pregnancy/birth-related PVL brain injury along with Cerebral Palsy. I was born full-term and weighed an impressive 9 pounds 12 ounces so I didn’t meet the typical criteria for kids with PVL which meant my injury wasn’t properly diagnosed until shortly after my first birthday.
How It Started
Around four months old my parents noticed that I hadn’t started making any cooing noises and by six months I wasn’t rolling over or doing lots of the things that babies my age should be doing. My parents were told not to worry and that I would do things at my own pace but they were not convinced and at 8 months they brought me to see a pediatrician who agreed something wasn’t right.
My Diagnosis
I was initially diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia as I struggled to move my arms & legs and I had very weak core muscles which made it difficult for me to sit up. But after a few months of therapy and some medications to help ease the muscle tightness I had progressed so well this was changed to spastic diplegia and dystonia.
The Good Stuff
I am now two years old and I have learned lots of new skills like crawling, pulling to stand on furniture and I have learned a few words to help me communicate what I want. I love a good giggle, playing with my big sister, any toys with wheels, books, and storytime. I am also a determined little explorer and I am constantly pushing my abilities to get to new places and I recently figured out how to climb the stairs. My next big challenge is to learn how to walk which I currently love to practice with the help of my walker.
Follow My Journey @SUPERALEXFARRELL
My parents know that with my determination and the right supports I can do anything. They set up my Instagram page @SUPERALEXFARRELL to help research different treatments and therapies that can help me live my best life and to reach out to others in the CP community to learn how to best support my needs.
