• Meet Noah

    Noah's mother, Jackie, can't pinpoint which treatment enabled her son to walk. "All I know is that just after his 3rd birthday, Noah did something I thought he'd never do - he began to walk on his own."

    Noah was born with cerebral palsy, a complex condition that arises from damage to a child's brain before, during or shortly after birth. In Noah's case, a knot in his umbilical cord deprived him of oxygen. He began coming to Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare before he was even a year old.

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    "Noah's diagnosis was hard," says Jackie. "But it allowed us to get him to the best place for treatment right away. The early intervention has made a huge difference."

    Gillette specialists injected botulinum toxin directly into Noah's tight muscles, allowing them to relax. His response to the treatment was immediate and significant. "He sat up right away," says Jackie. "It was wonderful." Noah has also undergone orthopaedic surgery at Gillette, and receives regular physical therapy.

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    Today, Noah is thriving. His greatest joy is riding his adaptive bike on warm summer days, just like his brothers and sisters. Because the tight muscles associated with cerebral palsy make riding a two-wheeled bike impossible for Noah, his bike has three wheels and special modifications.

    The advanced care Noah receives at Gillette has opened up a world of possibilities, and helped him do what Jackie once considered impossible.