What a beautiful smile!
Austin's page!!
What a beautiful smile!
On Nov. 7 1996 at 32 weeks gestation after an ultrasound the doctor informed us that our son would be born with a neural tube defect called spina bifida. At the time we didn't know exactly what that meant so the first question I ask is will he live. The doctors reply was yes but he would be paralyzed from the waist down and probably be mentally retarded. Needless to say my world was yanked from under my feet. I believe that during that office visit I lost my mind. I don't remember alot of what happened for the next half hr or so but I do remember that my doctor left the room crying. He had already seen us through a miscarriage the year before and now this news about our unborn son was so much for me to bear. I later found out that the waiting area heard my cries of pain and sorrow from behind several closed doors and two long hallways so now when I think back its no wonder that I felt then that everyone was staring at me because they really knew that something was wrong. Two hrs later and 150 miles away we saw a prenatal specialist. He completed an ultrasound with a higher resolution machine that showed in greater detail what was wrong with the baby.
After that we found out the truth Austin would walk maybe with the aid of a walker and short leg braces called AFO's and he would need a shunt for the hydro. But he would be just like any other child. I then slipped into information mode. I read everything that I could get my hands on about spina bifida and hydro. and clubfeet. Everything changed from sorrow to what can I do to help my baby be the best that he can be. I'm really glad that my mind switched tracks that fast because it would have been too easy just to feel sorry for myself when Austin is the only one that counts. On Dec. 17,1996 at 5:01pm Austin Richard Leslie was born into this world kicking and screaming. Richard told me that when they were cleaning Austin up that he was really mad and he kicked himself in the forehead. I know that sounds impossible but he had a club foot and muscle atrophy on his left leg and also kept it hyper extended. Two months later pt had fixed that. Austin had his shunt placed at 11 days of age and then is when they discovered that he had an infection in his spinal fluid from improper draping of his defect site before surgery. This cost us 16 more days in the hospital.
On Jan. 14 1997 we were released to go home. Twenty nine days after he was born we finally got to make the trip 150 miles back to pike county, KY. Everyday since then has been an adventure in everything you could ever imagine. Physical therapy now is twice a week but to begin with it was 3x's and then down to once a week and then back up to 2 when we began to walk. Now at age 3yrs Austin is a very energetic little boy with a world of imagination. He walks short distances without any aid [except for his afo's] and can actually run with his crutches. It has been a long road including surgery at 18months to repair his club foot and 2 other surgeries that had nothing to do with SB. i.e.- tubes for his ears and undescended left testicle. but when we improve its with leaps and bounds. Lately with the walking it has been with smaller steps. Starting off with his walker and then going on to the loft strand crutches and now walking across the living room without any help. We are also struggling with potty training, which I know most kids with spina bifida have little to no control with but some do and Austin is in that group we have just determined with the help of his Uro. that its just his not being ready yet that is holding back. Since we have slacked up on trying to get him to go he tells us more often now that he needs to potty. Everyday presents itself with a new challenge but we are up for everything that life may throw our way.
With the help of the Good Lord we can accomplish anything.
Sherry Leslie Austin's mom
Want to email Sherry? Her e-mail is at: sleslie5@bellsouth.net