Tori

"In the months right after I brought my daughter home from the hospital, I knew something wasn't right. She wasn't reacting or moving the way her older sister had at her age, so I took her to the doctor. They ran all sorts of tests and finally determined that she had had a stroke at birth. When I heard the news, I was so sad. I thought about how hard her life would be, how many obstacles she would have to face, and how she was going to deal with day-to-day things. She started physical and occupational therapy at LeBonheur, and I helped her at home. Then, when she was 7, she began having seizures, which the doctors said were brought on by the stroke. Her last seizure was three years ago and was her most severe. She nearly died. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, she wasn't responding and I heard them say, 'Hurry up - we're losing her!' We made it, but the doctors told me if she didn't come out of the seizure, if she didn't wake up, she would die. I immediately started praying to God. I've always been a praying person, but I really prayed then, and she came through. 

"It's been an emotional roller-coaster, and there are still challenges. Just today on the way here I was thinking, 'How is she going to drive? What will she do when I'm not around?' She's 14 now. A lot of kids might withdraw and feel down about facing what she faces, but that's not how she reacts. She's vibrant, has a lot of interests, and is well-loved by friends and schoolmates. She loves fashion, loves girly things, and she and I are super-super close. I have three daughters, and they're all awesome. How could one of my rainbows not shine?"

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