Cerebral palsy can’t slow this coxswain

For the women’s crew team at College of the Holy Cross and rowers everywhere, all eyes are on the Head of the Charles Regatta. It’s a long journey for every rower participating in the sport’s ultimate competition. But few have come so far as Caroline Laurendeau, the 4’11” coxswain for the Holy Cross Crusaders women’s rowing team. Caroline, who was born weighing just 1 lb. 11 oz., spent the first four-and-a-half months of her life in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) at Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Those first few months were hectic and scary for Caroline’s family. At one point, she suffered a pericardial effusion — fluid had accumulated around her heart. “The mortality rate from that can be really high,” explains Dr. Jane Stewart, director of the Boston Children’s Infant Follow-up Program. Physicians at Boston Children’s tapped the effusion to release the fluid and save her life. After Caroline was discharged from the NICU, Stewart continued as the family’s primary contact for care. The Infant Follow-Up Program monitors infants and toddlers born prematurely, connecting families with clinical services as needed and also with appropriate early intervention services including developmental specialists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Caroline’s diagnosis: Cerebral palsy Shortly before Caroline turned 2, she started showing signs of cerebral palsy. “Caroline didn’t put her right foot d...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our patients’ stories cerebral palsy Dr. Brian Snyder Dr. Jane Stewart hip dysplasia Infant Follow-up Program Orthopedic Center Source Type: news