We've had a little excitement in our house this week, but like usual, I am going to preface this by telling you our journey first....(remember too, that my blog is also my journal!)

Many of you know that Mia has a rare brain disorder called Dandy Walker.  Although there is not a lot of research on this prognosis, this is a malformation of the cerebellum, corpus collosum, vermis and ventricles of the brain.  These abnormalities and/or absence causes most DW patients to have trouble with balance (quick bio lesson: your cerebellum controls movement and coordination).  In Mia's case, she has both ventricle abnormalities and absence of her posterior vermis (the structure between the two sides of the cerebellum).  I know many of you are aware of Mia's diagnosis, but most people are confused on what exactly it means.  An MRI shows a black spot in the back of her brain where this piece is missing.

That being said, we have always known that walking would be a difficult task for Mia.  The vermis helps coordinate movements between the brain and the spinal cord.   With this missing, Mia's brain and body don't work together like they should.  In fact, early in Mia's diagnosis, we were told she may never walk.  Over the last two years, Mia has endured four different kinds of therapy, most of which were to deal with her severe prematurity.  Mia graduated from all therapies, other than physical therapy, before her 2nd birthday.  What a huge blessing for such a smart little girl 

I suppose with so much concentration on her prematurity issues (weak lungs, weak immune system, delayed cognitive, fine-motor and gross-motor skills), it has been easy to ignore the DW issues.  Mia has never had to receive a shunt (98% of DW child do), so I naively pushed it aside.  But recently I realized that Mia's struggle to walk was due to DW, not prematurity.  And although this doesn't sound profound, it has been quite profound for me.  It is the first time I have truly began to see how this disorder is effecting her.

Having a "special needs" child get you grouped into a weird and sometimes uncomfortable place in the government system.  Indiana runs a great program called First Steps that evaluates Mia along with providing in-home therapy.  It has been a huge blessing in little Mia's life.  But there is also the other side.  The pressure from the state on whether to claim your child as "disabled" in the school system, along with deciding if she needs specialized care through their state-run schools.  The age of this determination is 3.  Mia is on that slippery slope.  And while it doesn't matter to Chris and I either way, we have always believed that Mia's DW would not keep her from being a very normal child. 

So add the pressure of the third birthday, with Mia's recent resistance to physical therapy and you begin to understand the feeling of desperation.  Someone in our church recently mentioned hippotherapy (therapy using horses) to us and I began my research.  We are lucky enough to have the only state-accredited hippotherapy facility close to us in Carmel.  The prices are steep, but after watching this video (it will bring tears to your eyes!), I knew we needed to give it a shot.  We are in the process of getting approval from the state.  I felt like we could turn a corner in helping Mia.

Then suddenly during physical therapy this last week, Mia walked across the room, stopped on her own without falling, lifted her foot and kicked a soccer ball!!!  Her PT and I just froze for a few seconds comprehending what just happened.  As I looked at Mia, I saw the pride in her face.  She looked up and said "Mommy I play soccer.  Dora!"  Since then we have continued to see Mia take several steps across our living room floor.  It still amazes me each time.  She is still quite shaky and will still need a lot of therapy (and hopefully hippotherapy), but it is a start.  Mia has to learn to balance on her own, without her body telling her how to do it.  I can't imagine what that must feel like.

I am still amazed at how a little girl who doctors said would never walk, might never talk, and who could quite possibly have severe mental retardation, can walk across a room, sing her ABC's and do very "normal things" ever day.  We serve an amazing God, one who continues to care for His children in the most amazing of ways.

Ps.  I have video coming but couldn't figure out how to connect it to my computer today.  Coming soon...