Born: 8/25/1998
Illness: Spina Bifida, Arm Amputee, Chairi Malformation 1, Tethered Cord Syndrome, Hearing Deficit, Psuedo Tumer Celebri, Unstable Cervical and Throacic Spine, Shunt, Incontence
Quilt Deadline: May 1, 2010
Theme of Quilt: Quilt is now full and closed. Please check the other children for stitching information.
The following interests are mainly to help you get to know the children better.
You may use what you can towards the theme of the quilt, but make sure that you stitch within the theme.
Alisha's interests are: Different breed puppies and kittens, not primary but very bright/neon colors, baby pandas, zebra print, cheetah print. Alisha lives in MI.
Click here to see the squares for Alisha as they come in for her (Please keep in mind that her quilt was not opened to stitchers until January 2010)
Lisha (as we call her) was born with thoracic spina bifida and missing her left lower arm and hand. The surgeries started early in her life at 2 months old. She has had meningitis 3 times and almost lost her from it 2 times. She was not born with Chiari Malformation, she aquired it from her tethered spinal cord syndrome (T-1 and Lumbar). Her cord was being pulled so tight that it pulled her brain into her spinal column. We have had 5 decompressions and an expansible craniotomy to try and correct the damage that was done. She has had 3 different types of shunts placed as her body stopped absorbing her used spinal fluid (pseudo tumor celebri). Lisha acquired a brainstem injury in June of this year and since then she has been wheelchair bound 80% of the day. This seems to be the one that has taken her beyond the point of return.
Recently we have found due to her extensive surgical background she has acquired some hearing loss and her cervical spinal column has become unstable. I am hesitant to think of what the future brings to correct the instability and scared to think of what may happen if it is not corrected.
To this date Lisha has had 30 surgeries and fought many valiant battles because of her medical issues..I would have no idea how much of her life she has spent in the hospital, under sedation, or how many MRI's, testing, IV's she has endured.. she is a hero.
