Stroke and Cerebral Palsy: Morgan Lee's Struggle to Learn to Eat Again
Speech Therapist Drew Gerwin and Morgan Lee, age 3, enjoy ice cream cones during a recent home visit. Morgan is able to sustain her weight and is growing at a normal rate.
At just three months old, doctors discovered Morgan Lee had an enlarged heart. During her stay in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Morgan suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Morgan Lee's mouth and tongue became weak, leaving her unable to eat food by mouth. Today, thanks to help from speech therapist Drew Gerwin, Morgan is now able to eat and drink without the aid of a feeding tube.
Pizza, topped with melted mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and bacon...hot, buttered popcorn...frothy strawberry shakes and rich chocolate ice cream... Just saying the words makes your mouth water in anticipation.
Now imagine not being able to eat, except through a tube in your nose that leads to your stomach. Imagine being deprived of all the sensory delights that accompany food and drink. That's what 3-year-old Morgan Lee might have faced. But thanks for her devoted family and the expert help of Drew Gerwin, speech therapist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the little girl is able to enjoy what many of us take for granted.
A Rocky Beginning
Morgan was just three months old when doctors discovered that her heart was enlarged to three times its normal size. She spent seven weeks in the cardiac intensive care unit, during which time she suffered a stroke that left her right side weak, as well as compromising her speech and her fine and gross motor skills. She was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Says Morgan's mom, Monica, "The doctors told us her heart was ruined, that she'd have to have a transplant. They put her on the list and sent us home to wait."
In the meantime, Morgan and her family had to deal with the devastating effects of the stroke and the cerebral palsy. Monica had breast-fed her before she was hospitalized, but now Morgan had seemingly "forgotten" how to eat. She wouldn't take a bottle either.
Recalls Monica, "The muscles in her mouth and tongue were weak. She also had reflux which caused her to gag, even when we fed her through the tube. Several therapists tried to teach her to eat to no avail. But in early 2003, Morgan had the good fortune to be assigned to Drew."
Hope Enters In
Drew Gerwin is a slender, sparkly-eyed spirit whose affection for her patients is obvious. Her specialty is high-risk children with eating problems. She's been a speech therapist for nearly seven years, all of them at Cincinnati Children's.
Monica explains, "We could see a difference the first day Drew arrived, because Morgan actually let Drew touch her mouth and put various sensory devices into her mouth to see how see would react. Morgan connected with Drew, and although her progress was slow, she showed signs of improving."
A Long Road Back
Drew supported Morgan's family by teaching them feeding techniques, educating them on various feeding topics and helping them deal with setbacks. Says Monica, "We'd get to a point where Morgan seemed to have mastered something, then the next week, she wouldn't do anything. But Drew helped us understand that any progress Morgan made was good and that we needed to keep praising and encouraging her."
Says Drew, "Morgan was learning to eat at a time that's especially difficult for children in general. They're teething and having lots of ear infections. It's frustrating for families, so you really have to take it in little steps."
A Remarkable Outcome
Morgan has made some pretty amazing advances in her recovery. For instance, in the past two years, her heart has healed on its own, making a transplant no longer necessary. "The doctors aren't sure why or how it happened, but it seems like a miracle to us," says Monica.
And thanks for Drew, Morgan is now able to eat and drink without the aid of a tube. Her favorite foods are pizza and M&Ms, and she is particularly partial to chocolate ice cream.
The stroke has left Morgan unable to feel hunger. But Monica reports, when she makes popcorn in the microwave, Morgan smells it and lets her know she wants some.
Drew praises the Lee family, saying, "Morgan is a testament to how much progress you can make when you've got a family who understands the goals for the patient. They all pitched in and worked with her every day."
But Monica credits Drew Gerwin for her creative ideas and her persistence in working with Morgan. "We would never have seen Morgan eating again without Drew's skills and experience. My husband and I believe in angels -- those who guide us each and every day and those that are on this earth to physically help those in need. There is no doubt in our minds that Drew is our angel, and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts."
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