Mental Illness: Bradley Ann's Battle
"She loves to buy gifts for others"
Around the fifth grade, Bradley Ann started experiencing temporal lobe epilepsy and psychiatric problems. By age 14, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. After 11 months of treatment in the Hospital Extended Care Program at Cincinnati Children's, Bradley Ann is happy again and able to enjoy her favorite activities, such as shopping and swimming.
A Changing Diagnosis
Steven and Pat Wertepny live in Liberty Township, Ohio, with their three children, Douglas, 17; Bradley Ann, 15; and Casey, 12. When Bradley Ann was born, she was a bright, healthy little girl who had a strong passion and talent for drawing. Nothing could prepare her or her parents for the road ahead.
At age 2, Bradley Ann was diagnosed with autism / pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). By age 8, however, she no longer qualified for that diagnosis. Around the fifth grade, Bradley Ann started experiencing temporal lobe epilepsy and psychiatric problems. At first, it was thought she was biopolar with psychotic episodes.
(Temporal lobe epilepsy originates from the lobe of the brain that's just above the ears. This form of epilepsy can cause unusual behavior in a child, such as lip smacking, head-to-toe body twitching or a burst of anger. With temporal lobe epilepsy, the child may sometimes lose consciousness and sometimes he / she remains completely aware of everything.)
Bradley Ann had been seeing a psychiatrist twice yearly since age 6. As her behaviors became more erratic, she began seeing a psychiatrist once a week. She was put on several different anti-psychotic and anti-epileptic drugs, only to experience terrible results and / or side effects. After 18 months and 11 different medications, her seizures finally became controlled with first Depakote", then Trileptal". But her psychiatric problems were far from over.
A New Diagnosis, Five Hospitalizations
At age 14, Bradley Ann's diagnosis was changed to schizophrenia. By this time, she had become violent and was attacking her brother and sister. As a result of this behavior, Bradley Ann has had five acute hospitalizations since the fifth grade. (An acute hospitalization is a short, temporary hospital stay to help stabilize the child's behavior.)
In October 2002, Bradley Ann was sent to a hospital outside of Cincinnati where she was taken off all her psychiatric medications, causing her to become catatonic. (She didn't speak for seven months.) She was discharged in a completely withdrawn state. Once home, her psychiatrist tried another round of antipsychotic medications. Bradley began to speak occasionally, but was often confused and violent.
It became obvious to Steven and Pat, as well as to the psychiatrist, that a long-term residential treatment facility was needed to help Bradley Ann.
Time for Cincinnati Children's
Back home, Bradley Ann regressed to the level of a 5- to 6-year-old. Steven and Pat Wertepny knew that if they sent her back to the same out-of-town facility, Bradley Ann wouldn't get better. Fortunately, there was space available in the acute care unit at Cincinnati Children's. From there, they were able to get her into the Hospital Extended Care Program on the College Hill campus. "It was a perfect placement for her," Pat says.
At the point they put her in Cincinnati Children's, Pat and Steven thought they had lost Bradley Ann forever.
Doctors started her on a new drug called clozaril (or cloazapine). Bradley Ann's mood started to stabilize and after two months, she started speaking again. She also stopped attacking staff members and stopped threatening to hurt herself.
"Bradley responds very well to positive feedback," Pat says. The staff at Cincinnati Children's adapted the program for Bradley to lessen negative feedback. "They flexed to meet her needs," Pat adds.
After six months at College Hill, Bradley was talking and interacting again, but she still wasn't in the real world. After nine months, she was still hearing voices but she could tune them out and recognize that they weren't real. She also stopped having hallucinations. "The staff here has been phenomenal," Pat says.
As she continued to progress, Bradley Ann started going to junior high school from the hospital, gradually increasing the hours. "The school system is incredibly supportive," Pat and Steven comment.
Bradley Ann received 11 months of consistent care in the Hospital Extended Care Program, which isn't possible with acute care. And because College Hill is close, her parents were there every day. "Families need someplace close. You can't underestimate how important family involvement is," Pat says.
Changing the Outcome for a Better Future
Bradley Ann is home now, and continues to make progress. She's enjoying many favorite activities, such as shopping, going to restaurants, walking and swimming. "She loves to buy gifts for others," Pat says.
The biggest milestone, however, came at Bradley Ann's farewell dinner from the Cincinnati Children's College Hill campus. At the time Bradley Ann was admitted into the Hospital Extended Care Program, Bradley's brother, Douglas, had had enough of her. In fact, six to nine months passed before he visited her for the first time. But at the farewell dinner, Douglas stood up and said, "Thank you for taking care of her and loving her." Pat says that moment would never have happened without the Cincinnati Children's College Hill facility and staff.
"We have a life…she has a life now," Pat says. "Because we got those 11 months [at College Hill], we have our family back."
Bradley Ann still sees her psychiatrist on a regular basis, and she maintains contact with two of her roommates from College Hill.
"Our experience with the nurses, mental health workers and doctors at Cincinnati Children's is they can be your biggest advocates," Pat says. "They really care about kids. … I would call them the unsung heroes."
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