Пятилетняя девочка из Вэшберна преодолела прогноз врачей и теперь свободно ходит, говорит и видит

WASHBURN, N.D. (KFYR) — When Claire Boucher was born five years ago, doctors warned her parents she would likely never walk, talk, see or hear—if she survived at all. Now, the Washburn girl is defying those odds. At 32 weeks, a routine ultrasound revealed complications that changed her family’s life forever. “During a routine ultrasound, they noticed an abnormality on her brain,” said her father, Steven Boucher. Due to dangerously high maternal blood pressure, doctors performed an emergency C-section. Tests immediately following her birth brought more challenging news. “When she was born, there was more testing that was done. Once more testing was done, that’s when we found out about the two bleeds and clot,” Steven said. Claire was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and it was 24 hours before her mother, Amanda, was able to hold her. “I was close enough to where I could go see her when I wanted. But it was hard because I...I couldn’t hold her as much as I wanted; I couldn’t do the motherly stuff,” Amanda said. Steven faced the daunting challenge of supporting both his wife and newborn daughter during their extended hospitalizations. “After she was born, she was in the hospital for over two months. But Amanda was also in the hospital for almost two weeks. So, I had a baby in the NICU and a wife in the NICU. So, I was by myself,” Steven said. After the family finally transitioned home, Claire began having seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy, a severe form of cerebral palsy, and paralysis on her left side. To help her walk, Claire received Botox injections to help relax her muscles, followed by serial casting—a process that uses a series of casts to slowly stretch tight muscles over several weeks. Now, at five years old, Claire can see, hear, walk independently and talk. “When I first started working with Claire, and I met Claire, she had maybe 10 to 15 words that she could say. And now, she is such a bright little spitfire. She has full stories to tell you and these big long sentences,” said Shealyn Just, her speech pathologist. Claire and her family will participate in the upcoming Airwaves for Kids Broadcast, taking place in the lobby of First International Bank & Trust in Bismarck next Thursday. The event raises funds to support children struggling with medical needs.