Olivia's Story

Olivia had been a typically developing 6-year-old. She loved dancing and playing dress up with her siblings until she had her first seizure. EMTs arrived quickly and treated her at home to stop the seizure. Her follow-up MRI was normal but six months later, Olivia had a devastating seizure during the night.

The nighttime seizure left her without enough oxygen and caused swelling in her brain. She was rushed to Children’s Mercy and underwent critical brain surgery. Olivia spent three weeks in the pediatric ICU and six weeks in inpatient rehabilitation. She walked out of the hospital but ten days later, got an infection. She began to have more than 30 seizures a day. Olivia was left unable to walk, talk or move.

Olivia’s road to recovery has not been easy. Her goals were to walk and talk again. Olivia works hard in her physical, occupational, and speech therapies at Ability KC but she has had setbacks caused by her seizures. However, her therapists share every bit of progress with her family. They highlight the little things that others may not see.

Today Olivia continues to work on her therapy goals. She works to relearn the movements to complete everyday tasks and build strength to move her arms and legs. Olivia is also making progress with her vision. Because of therapy, she is able to start to track and recognize more complex objects.

Olivia earned the nickname “Wonder Woman” because of her resilient spirit. She has always been a quirky girl with a sense of humor. She loves to show off for her friends and family. Olivia and her family will continue working with unwavering dedication alongside the Ability KC therapists are there every step of the way.

“Ability KC has become a home and a safety net for us. The seizures are very discouraging and the progress celebrations-like the day she was first able to lift up her leg-remind us of the good things happening with Olivia.” said her mother, Amanda.

UPDATE: Olivia continues to live up to her Wonder Woman nickname and is making tremendous progress with her therapeutic goals. She has been using an adaptive bike to build her strength and stamina, is walking with less assistance and is able to use the bathroom on her own. All of these newly developed skills are increasing Olivia’s independence. Olivia is also improving her visual attention and handwriting which will play an important role in helping her return to elementary school.