CMN Champion overcomes challenges
Leah Vigum begs her mom and dad to please, please, please take the training wheels off her bike. She's ready for the next challenge, but unlike most 5-year-olds, Leah has had more than her share of life's challenges – and life's milestones, beginning when she was a baby.
When Leah was 4 months old, her parents, Mike and Nancy, picked her up from day care and discovered she was having convulsions. An ambulance rushed her to MeritCare in Fargo. She had life-threatening injuries, including a severe brain injury, likely caused by shaken baby syndrome. Leah spent the next two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at MeritCare Children's Hospital, where she received high-level care from a team of pediatric specialists. She survived, overcoming the first milestone, but that was just the beginning.
Pediatric occupational therapist Susie Haasser was one of the first of many therapists to work with Leah at various times over the years. "I still remember the first day I evaluated her. Any movement, any noise, basically any stimulus would really upset her. It was a big accomplishment when we were just able to touch her and she was okay with that," says Susie. "From there and for the first year, we worked on basics – rolling, crawling, reaching, playing and all those fun things that little ones do, but Leah had to learn how to do them. Time and time again, she just amazed me. She did things we never thought she'd be able to do."
Due to the brain injury, Leah had to learn skills that to other babies and children just come naturally. Eating, for example. Pediatric speech language pathologist Cindee Schiele Ness recalls what it was like. "It was tough for her to organize and coordinate her tongue in order for her to take in food. When she was able to spoon feed, that was a big accomplishment," says Cindee. "As she grew up, we worked on her articulation, language and cognitive skills. Always, she has had somuch desire to learn and she tries so hard. When she accomplishes something, her smile just explodes. She's a gem."
Both Susie and Cindee are quick to point out the important role Leah's family plays. "Her mom, her dad, her big brother, her extended family – they have been so much a part of Leah's therapy and her gains," says Cindee. "Any recommendations we would make, they would follow through with. They work with her constantly at home." Susie agrees, adding: "Without that incredible support, I don't know if she'd be where she is today. She's a happy little girl, doing everything for herself – running, smiling, jumping, playing. It's just amazing when you think about the hurdles she has had to overcome."
Leah's mom can easily recall milestones, too. "Writing her name – that was huge," says Nancy, a former classroom teacher." Coordination has always been a challenge for her, and one of the toughest things was just picking up the pencil and getting a grip on it. You could see how she struggled, and when she could finally move the pencil back and forth to write her name, you should have seen the smile that came across her face. That's a memory I'll never forget." This year, Leah completed preschool at Norman County East in Minn. and will begin kindergarten next fall.
The Vigum family, including 8-year-old Kyle and 2-year-old Sarah, live in Twin Valley, Minn., where Mike raises beef cattle and operates a small grain farm. Leah has been able to receive some of her therapies near home, but they've also made several trips to Fargo over the years. "120 miles round trip," says Nancy. "I could do it on autopilot." They continue to come for periodic evaluations at MeritCare's Pediatric Brain Injury Treatment Program. "In one day Leah sees all the medical professionals she needs to see and we know exactly how she's doing and what we need to work on," says Nancy. Leah's grandma, Elaine Ricard, of Beltrami, Minn., often accompanies them. "My mom has been my right hand through all of this. I don't know where we'd be without her help," says Nancy.
For triumphing despite severe injury and for continuing to meet challenges in winning style, Leah was named this year's Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Champion, representing North Dakota. She and her family recently traveled to Washington D.C. and Disney World in Florida to participate in the CMN festivities. "It was the trip of a lifetime. Leah even went onstage and danced with Lonestar," says Nancy. "But for me, the highlight was when she received her medallion. Tears streamed down my face, and all I could think about was how far she has come and how hard she has worked. We were reminded again what a blessing Leah is."
Watch the 2005 Children's Miracle Network Celebration
Saturday, June 4, noon-10 p.m.
Meet Leah and many other kids during this year's CMN Celebration. The 10-hour broadcast will be carried live on Midcontinent Cable in western North Dakota and KVLY-TV 11 in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
To learn about programs and equipment purchased with CMN funds or to make your donation online, visit cmn.meritcare.com. Donations can also be made by calling (800) 437-4010.
Learn more about shaken baby syndrome or call MeritCare Children's Hospital at (701) 234-6500 or (800) 437-4010.
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