KaiLi got her leg braces a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully, they will at the very least keep her feet from contracting and turning in more, and will strengthen the weak muscles in her shins that keep her from flexing her feet. If not, she will need to have surgery when she is 10 or so to release the contractures. Right now she is still adjusting to them, so only wears them 4-5 hours a day, but next week she will begin wearing them to school. I'm sure she's not going to be too happy about this. I'm going to try to post some video, though, of her riding her scooter with them. They don't hinder her activity much!
On Tuesday it will be a year since we got her. She has changed so much in this year! Last year at this time she was just 37 1/2 inches tall and weighed 36 pounds. Now she is 43 1/2 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds! She will be 9 in July, so she is still tiny, but the progress she has made is phenomenal.
We knew when we got her that KaiLi could walk, but were concerned because her legs were much weaker than we imagined. For those who don't know, KaiLi has spina bifida which was repaired in China when she was about 3 or 5 years old, depending on reports. (I really can't be sure, but I think the report that she was 5 is more accurate). We bought a stroller in China because we realized walking long distances would tax her strength. She leaned to the right when she walked because her left leg was so weak that she had to kind of throw it forward, so she overcompensated to the right. She could only walk up stairs using her right foot and had to hold on to someone's hand and the railing, going very slowly. Although her right leg was stronger and could support her weight, it took a lot of effort for her to pull her left leg up on to the next step. She could run, but fell often, tripping over her own toes. She couldn't even step on and off the curb because she was afraid of falling, and sometimes did.
She has gained so much strength this year. She can now go up and down stairs by herself and only uses the railing "just in case," just as we would. She practiced for months, constantly saying, "Look, Mom!" as she practiced going up and down using alternate feet. She rides a bike and a scooter like a pro. She plays soccer and will probably play other sports next year as well. She is a bit slower than other kids her age, but she isn't afraid to get into the action and really enjoys playing.
We are very proud of KaiLi. She has worked so hard and is determined to do well in everything she does. We are very blessed to have her be our daughter.
On Tuesday it will be a year since we got her. She has changed so much in this year! Last year at this time she was just 37 1/2 inches tall and weighed 36 pounds. Now she is 43 1/2 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds! She will be 9 in July, so she is still tiny, but the progress she has made is phenomenal.
We knew when we got her that KaiLi could walk, but were concerned because her legs were much weaker than we imagined. For those who don't know, KaiLi has spina bifida which was repaired in China when she was about 3 or 5 years old, depending on reports. (I really can't be sure, but I think the report that she was 5 is more accurate). We bought a stroller in China because we realized walking long distances would tax her strength. She leaned to the right when she walked because her left leg was so weak that she had to kind of throw it forward, so she overcompensated to the right. She could only walk up stairs using her right foot and had to hold on to someone's hand and the railing, going very slowly. Although her right leg was stronger and could support her weight, it took a lot of effort for her to pull her left leg up on to the next step. She could run, but fell often, tripping over her own toes. She couldn't even step on and off the curb because she was afraid of falling, and sometimes did.
She has gained so much strength this year. She can now go up and down stairs by herself and only uses the railing "just in case," just as we would. She practiced for months, constantly saying, "Look, Mom!" as she practiced going up and down using alternate feet. She rides a bike and a scooter like a pro. She plays soccer and will probably play other sports next year as well. She is a bit slower than other kids her age, but she isn't afraid to get into the action and really enjoys playing.
We are very proud of KaiLi. She has worked so hard and is determined to do well in everything she does. We are very blessed to have her be our daughter.
