Physical Therapy in Chile - huge steps for Thiago

Additional visits to Chile were instrumental in helping him sit up by himself, stand by himself, and take his first steps. The advances he has made may seem small to some, but for us they are amazing feats. Simple things like being able to sit by himself on a chair without falling over are small victories that improve his life so much. Over the years we have made several trips, and each has helped so much. Each trip costs several thousand dollars, so we are so grateful for all those that have helped us make it a reality!

Thiago begins to travel to Chile

Physical Therapy has been instrumental in helping Thiago. When Thiago was 3, we traveled to Chile to see a therapist that helped Thiago a lot. Before traveling there, Thiago was very weak and unstable, but by the end of our first trip, he was already supporting his own head. This was a huge step for Thiago!

The Early Years

Until Thiago was 2 & 1/2 years old, he had a feeding tube in place. This was very uncomfortable for Thiago, since the tube had to enter his mouth and reach down to his stomach. He grew, but his developmental steps came very slowly. Thiago is very loving person. In the beginning, he didn't move a lot, but once he learned to move his hands, the first thing he does when someone approaches is to reach out for a hug.

Thiago's 1st Birthday!

In our family, each birthday isn't just another year gone by, but another year that Thiago has prevailed. 90% of children born with Trisomy 13 don't make it past the 1st year. For whatever reason, we have been blessed to continue to have Thiago in our lives.

40 days in Neonatal Intensive Care

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him for the first time, lying in his crib. He spent 40 days in Neonatal intensive care. We were told that he was probably deaf, blind, and would be bedridden during his short life. Trisomy 13 is a congenital disease that means that Thiago has 3 copies of his 13 chromosome instead of the normal 2. Even though 1 in 10,000 children are born with this condition, few children that have it live past 1 year.

Thiago's diagnosis and birth

At 20 weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound showed that Thiago had a cleft palate. Further testing revealed that he suffered from full Trisomy 13. The doctors explained the diagnosis and told us not to get our hopes up, because he most likely would not even be born. Still, we felt that he would live, so we pressed on and left it in God's hands. Thiago was born, and has changed our lives forever. He simply took us by the hand, and gave us the strength to keep fighting.