ChronicleOnline: Healing within Her Grasp
For those who don’t know our daughter was born with a Port Wine Stains (PWS) that covers much of her left leg and other places on her body. This young lady Megan is an inspiration to us all. ~Thomas
Young stroke victim has healing within her grasp
Device helps with hand movement
By Chris Van Ormer, Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Megan Ledford was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare congenital neurological disorder associated with seizures. The affliction has caused the teen to have strokes which have left her debilitated. Above, she uses a device on her hand called a Saebo Flex that lets her flex her fingers to make her grip stronger. (Photo by Matthew Beck)
Chronicle’s note: The Chronicle will follow Megan’s progress through her recuperation and her senior year at CREST.
Strokes are no stranger to 17-year-old Megan Ledford.
She had her first stroke at 3 months of age. Her latest stroke hit her in February. Her mother said the stroke was the result Megan’s stress about the death of her stepfather in December.
Because Megan was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare congenital neurological disorder associated with seizures, the Homosassa girl has had more strokes, mini-strokes and seizures than her mother, Kelly Kefauver, can recount.
“When she came home, she couldn’t walk or hold her own weight,” Kefauver said.
After three weeks of working on walking with her, Megan’s family got her out of the wheelchair. Megan has a brother, Logan Dimick, 10, and a sister, A’Laura Ledford, 16.
“They would get up and they would help her walk,” Kefauver said. “When I brought her home from the hospital, my daughter came out and helped me get her out of the car. They would push her around in the wheelchair. Because they’ve had to deal with it all their lives, that’s all they know: To help their sister.”
Megan is a happy girl, a student at CREST, Citrus Resource for Exceptional Student Transition, in Lecanto. The port wine stain on her engaging face was considered just a birthmark when she was born. But it is a symptom of Sturge-Weber Syndrome, which was not diagnosed until she had the first stroke at the age of 3 months.
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