Saved from Surgery

Eight-year-old girls are supposed to spend their time enjoying games, watching TV, reading books and playing with their friends; not worrying about seizures, sinus headaches and bone-eating infections. Unfortunately for Rachel, her life’s journey over the past six months has been much different than most kids her age.

In December 2013, mere days before Christmas, Rachel wasn’t feeling well. She was taken to the doctor and diagnosed with the flu and an ear infection. A few days later, Rachel’s mom called the doctor because she had become so sick that she wasn’t able to keep her meds down. Her prescriptions were changed but it didn’t help. Rachel became so sick that she couldn’t even go to her grandma’s house for Christmas.

On December 27th Rachel went back to the doctor where she was diagnosed with Acute Sinusitis. This condition causes the cavities around the nasal passages to become inflamed and swollen. This interferes with drainage and causes mucus to build up. Acute Sinusitis can be caused by the common cold, allergies, bacterial and fungal infections.

Two nights later, Rachel’s family was sitting around the table playing board games. All of a sudden, Rachel’s speech became slurred and no one could make out what she was saying. She then began to stare into space and not talk. It took 20 minutes before they finally were able to get her to respond. Rachel had trouble sleeping that night so her mom held her in a recliner chair downstairs. A few hours later she suddenly threw up, became unresponsive and started convulsing.

Rachel was rushed to the emergency room as she continued to seize. Her right eye, cheek and arm were twitching and jerking and saliva was starting to run out of the side of her mouth. Her seizure lasted over 2 hours. Rachel was transferred to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. They learned that there was fluid on her brain and an infection between her skull and brain called an Epidural Abscess. Within twelve hours Rachel was having surgery to clean out all of her sinus cavities in hopes that the infection would begin to subside. Rachel spent the next week in the hospital to see if the antibiotics were having an affect on the infection.

Doctors tried several antibiotics. Nothing seemed to work. On March 20, 2014, Rachel had a second surgery to clean out her sinus cavities once again. An MRI uncovered an infection in the front follicle bone that had started eating part of her bone. Doctors tried several additional antibiotics with no success. The family was told that if they didn’t see significant change on the next MRI on April 29th, Rachel would need to have a major surgery to remove her front follicle bone and replace it with a cement-like bone with a metal plate on top for protection. Rachel’s family immediately began praying for healing so that this surgery would not be necessary.

Their answer to prayer came when someone they attend church with asked if they had ever heard of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and encouraged them to call Sara’s Garden for more information.

Rachel arrived at Sara’s Garden five days before the impending April 29th MRI. After receiving five treatments, Rachel’s family noticed that she was no longer complaining about experiencing the painful sinus headaches that she had been dealing with over the past few months. Encouraged by this revelation, the family returned to Indianapolis for Rachel’s next round of testing. The results showed a slight improvement in the infection level. Their doctor encouraged them to continue receiving HBOT and suggested they postpone the surgery. She and her family returned to Sara’s Garden with renewed hope that they would be able to fight this infection with HBOT and keep Rachel from needing to undergo a major surgery.

After Rachel’s 29th treatment, the family headed back to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for yet another CT Scan. When they met to learn the results of the test later that day, the infectious disease doctor just kept repeating over and over again how shocked and amazed she was. Rachel’s front follicle bone was completely healed. There was no longer any trace of an infection anywhere. The doctor had read the report over three times before meeting with the family to be sure she hadn’t read it wrong and commented that she would have had a hard time believing the results if it hadn’t been read by her most trusted radiologist.

They were overjoyed to learn that major surgery would not be needed. However, because of all of the damage to Rachel’s sinuses, there was still a chance that Rachel would have to undergo another surgery to clean out the sinus cavities again. The doctor encouraged them to continue on with HBOT and see what would happen.

Upon completing 40 HBOT treatments, Rachel’s family met with the neurosurgeon one last time. When the family was ready to leave, he commented to the student doctor who was shadowing him, “We tried everything on this little girl and nothing helped until they went and did Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy! That saved them so much heartache and a major surgery! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am for them!” Additionally, Rachel’s Ear, Nose, Throat Specialist (ENT) was so pleased with the results of Rachel’s treatments that he said it would not be necessary to undergo the surgery to clear out her sinus cavities.

The past six, long months had been extremely hard on Rachel’s family. At times it seemed like they had more questions than answers. It was so painful seeing Rachel suffer from the effects of this ravaging infection. Rachel’s family knows that their faith and the continuous prayers from countless supporters helped carry them through this difficult time.

HBOT was able to do what months of antibiotics couldn’t in fighting a serious, bone-eating infection. Thanks to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Sara’s Garden, Rachel was saved from having to undergo multiple surgeries and was finally able to experience healing. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.

Summer Camp 2014 Update

It is so hard to believe that July is nearly over. This has been an exciting month here at Sara’s Garden!

The 2014 summer camp got off to an exciting start on July 7th. A total of 38 students from 9 states across the country arrived with their parents in anticipation of many positive gains. The children were able to participate in one of three programs or a combination of the three programs. Families are offered Autism Interventions, Sensory Integration, and Conductive Education services. Some families also choose to take part in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments.

This amounts to a long, full day for these little warriors. They are working so hard!

The children have faced new challenges and high expectations. Along with new challenges and high expectations come struggles for these children. Needless to say, the first few days were difficult for them, but by the end of the first week we were already seeing significant changes and gains. The children began to trust the teachers, aides, and conductors and appeared to realize that these people really will help them to reach their independent potential.

Thus, we have children who are taking steps for the first time, increasing head control or sitting independently. One child walked with a walker by herself for the first time in her life. Another student took 50 steps without support from anyone. There has been less stemming, better focus, and the ability of some students to control negative behaviors.

Another significant component of this year’s camp has been the positive relationship building which is taking place between students. Friendships are being established which is huge for our students and parents. Without a doubt, the first half of summer camp has been so uplifting for all of us.

We can’t wait to see what the children are able to accomplish by the end of camp on August 1st.

New Horizons Academy Expansion Update

It’s overwhelming and humbling to consider the growth and success that we’ve experienced at New Horizons Academy at Sara’s Garden over the past two years. It’s so hard to believe that we are getting ready to begin the school’s 3rd year of operation.

As we mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we’ve received an overwhelming demand for enrollment in the school. We currently have 62 students from 16 different school districts across Northwest Ohio enrolled for the 2014/15 school year. To be able to continue to provide the students with small, intimate classroom settings where they can develop and excel, it became clear that we needed more space.

By the time that financing was secured through State Bank, we had only 4 months to complete a 9,200 square foot expansion project to add more classrooms, sensory rooms and Conductive Education intervention space.

We feel so fortunate to have such an amazing team of contractors working on this project for us. They know the importance of this space and what it means to the kids that we serve. They have been tirelessly working around the clock to ensure that the building is completed and ready to use by the start of school in August. We can’t begin to thank them enough for all of their hard work and dedication.

We feel so honored and privileged to have the opportunity to work with and serve such an amazing group of kids and can’t wait to see what the next school year has in store.

Matt Rychener CEO / Executive Director

Parents From all Over the Country Bring Their Children to Summer Camp at Sara’s Garden

Article published Friday, July 11, 2014 by the Defiance Crescent

By TIM McDONOUGH @cnmcdonough

WAUSEON — Now in its fourth year, Sara’s Garden summer camp in Wauseon has been helping children from all over the country that have autism, cerebral palsy, brain trauma or other disabilities by offering autism intervention, conductive education, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and sensory integration.

The goal of the summer camp, according to camp administrator and New Horizons Academy principal Dave Burkholder, is to help children improve their lives in several areas.

“The concept of the camp from the beginning was to provide conductive education for the families, but it was two years ago that we also began offering autism intervention, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and sensory integration,” stated Burkholder. “When we started this four years ago, we had three kids, now we have 39, and the growth of this camp came from the successes the parents saw in their children. It’s because of those parents spreading the word, that we’ve reached families all over the country.

“Our conductive ed program helps children improve their fine gross motor communication skills,” continued Burkholder. “The goal is to create independence for the kids so they can walk, talk and feed themselves independently. Our autism intervention and sensory integration are for kids on the autism spectrum. They go through individualized programs that enable them to also create independence. Also, about half of the children in camp go through HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy), where the oxygen, in addition to the work the kids put in, helps them make those strides.”

Tiffany Hicks of Leroy, Ala., and Lisa Boylan of Tigard, Ore., are two mothers who have traveled thousands of miles to bring their children to the summer camp. Hicks’ son, Cole, suffered brain trauma when he nearly drowned at 20 months, while Boylan’s daughter, Molly, was born with cerebral palsy. Both Hicks and Boylan have their kids in the camp for the second straight year because they have seen the improvement in their children, and because they don’t have these types of services where they live.

“My husband (Randy) and I were online searching to find what might work for Molly, we found the camp last year, we asked for help from family members, and we were able to get here,” said Boylan. “Molly is 9, she has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal. I can usually figure out what she wants to say, and after being camp last year, we knew she wanted to came back. She loves it here, she doesn’t know she’s working, and because of that, she’s is having a blast and making progress.”

Said Hicks: “Cole wasn’t supposed to be able to do anything, he was supposed to be a vegetable. But I see him being pushed to reach new heights, and it’s amazing. I’ve done the research, we tried different therapies, but what he’s achieved here so far … I’m just amazed, and our family is amazed too.”

Despite the fact the camp costs $35 per hour, runs four hours, five-days a week, and lasts for four weeks, the two mothers couldn’t be happier or more excited about the improvement they’ve seen in their children.

“I’ve seen so many gains since Cole started here, huge gains,” Hicks said. “I’m amazed at what the people here do with the kids, they’re pushed to reach their highest potential. It’s a miracle place, it is.”

Said Boylan: “This camp was very different than anything we’ve done with Molly,” Boylan said. “We had done a lot of physical therapy, but what she does here is fun for her, and I can see her trying hard because she’s enjoying it. We found she has more control of her body, but the biggest thing was her hands relaxing. She had always had her hands clenched, but at the end of last summer, that wasn’t the case, and it was the first time that has ever happened. We saw the potential, that’s why we’re back.”

After enrolling Cole in the camp last year, Hicks liked the program so much that she and Cole moved to Wauseon so that he could be enrolled at New Horizon’s Academy in the fall for the school year. Meanwhile, the Boylan family has also discussed moving to Wauseon to send Molly to New Horizons.

“When I saw what was happening here last year at camp, my husband and I made the decision that Cole and I would move here … we want to do everything we can for our child,” said Hicks, whose husband, Robert, still lives in Alabama. “It wasn’t easy moving 14 hours away from home, but this place is a dream come true. I can’t express enough how happy Cole is here and how much he’s improved.”

Concluded Boylan: “In Oregon there’s physical therapy and there’s school, but we don’t have anything like what’s here. My husband and I have had conversations about moving to this area and having Molly attend New Horizons. We see the benefits of it, but we both have jobs and family back home … let’s just say it’s something we’re talking about and who knows what will happen in the future?”