Page 84 - Life In Naples Magazine - November 2015
P. 84
RIVING WHIL CIOMMPMAUNCITTY
Hannah’s Story
Hby Kelly G. Cooper required her to be once again air lifted to Tampa
ave you ever looked out of your window or strolled General Trauma, who could better treat pediatric
down the street and thought to yourself, wow, that is spinal cord injuries.
one happy all American family. Chances are you have
and you might even of had the privilege of knowing Hannah initially spent 1 1/2 months in the
that family. The father may have helped your loved one in a crisis, Pediatric ICU on life support when a problem
the mother may have taught your 4th grader, your children may developed and her lungs began to fill with fluid.
have participated in gymnastics class with the little girls. It is Once that problem was managed she was able
definitely a possibility that you have seen this family riding bicycles to have spinal fusion. With stabilization, she was
in your neighborhood or playing with their little dog. This is the transferred to Shriner’s Hospital for Children in
Ahlquist family. Life was carefree and predictable until it wasn’t. Philadelphia where state of the art pediatric spinal
cord injuries is a specialty. Hannah spent four weeks
On April 5, 2015 this “normal” family of four loaded there before returning to Naples. After three weeks
themselves and their dog into the car and set off to grandma’s she again returned to Philadelphia for intensive
house for Easter dinner. No one could have predicted that when physical therapy and rehab. This is expected to be a
they drove through a green light an impaired driver would slam back and forth trip every few months with ongoing
into the back of their vehicle changing lives forever. The direct therapy continuing here locally.
impact hit exactly where Haley and Hannah, ages five and three
respectively, were sitting. Even though the children were secure Currently Hannah cannot move her fingers, but
in their car seats both suffered whiplash. Haley had a massive has minimal arm movement even though they are
concussion and a broken hand, whereas Hannah suffered from extremely weak. Her entire body remains fragile and
a spinal cord injury and is now a tetraplegic (also known as her three year old voice very soft. She can no longer
quadriplegia) with the inability to move from her arms down. sleep in her bedroom with her sister Haley because
Both girls were air lifted to Lee Memorial Trauma Center of all of the required medical equipment needed to
where it was determined that the extent of Hannah’s injuries take care of her. Her hospital bed is now in the family
room which opens to the rest of the home so she
can be a part of all of the activities, also enabling her
parents and sister to keep an eye on her. Exorbitant
medical expenses keep the family from reconfiguring
space to make it handicapped accessible but there is
hope that this is possible over a period of time.
Monthly expenses are staggering and the
projected cost of lifetime care will be in the multi-
millions. As Hannah grows all of her adaptive
equipment such as braces for her body, hands and
legs, along with wheelchairs and a specialty mattress
will need to be made larger. This tiny blond haired
angel will continue to require medical care 24/7 for
the rest of her life including travel to her specialty
physicians and hospitals, since spinal cord injuries for
her age group cannot be treated close to home.
84 Life in Naples | November 2015
