Leesburg mother is everything to son with cerebral palsy
By Jana Wagoner
When people ask Leesburg resident Suzanne Brown what her hobbies are, her answer is always her son Ethan.
Ethan, 7, was born with brain damage and then diagnosed with cerebral palsy around the age of 2. He cannot walk without full support, crawl, speak, chew or feed himself.
Brown is the constant caregiver for her son. She jokes that by learning to care for Ethan properly, she has become a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. She is on her own a lot because her husband Troy works long hours to support the family
Parents of special needs children “become everything,” Brown said, describing how they need to try different exercises and activities to “see what works.”
Brown has enrolled Ethan into a specialized pediatric physical therapy program called Euro-Peds at the North Oakland Medical Center in Pontiac, Mich. Ethan is scheduled to take part in the two-week program Aug. 11-22.
At the North Oakland Medical Center, Ethan will participate in four hours of intensive physical therapy each day.
The Euro-Peds technique, which originated in Russia, uses bungee cords and specialized suits similar to what astronauts wear. This therapy helps patients gain mobility and better control of their neurological functions.
Ethan's health insurance covers only one hour of therapy per day, leaving his family to fund the other three hours per day. Brown is working with the North Oakland Foundation to raise money for Ethan's two weeks of therapy. No fundraising events are planned now, but donations are welcome.
Brown hopes the program will help Ethan gain better sense of his movements.
Right now, she works on motor skills with him through repetition. Through this, he has learned to turn off light switches, a big feat considering he has little control of his arms and hands.
During the week, Ethan attends Sycolin Elementary School where he is in the severely disabled class.
On Saturdays, Brown takes Ethan to a friend's farm in Lorton, where he gets to ride a horse, and on Sundays, he attends a special needs Sunday school class at Christian Fellowship Center in Ashburn. After Sunday school, they go to Dulles Town Center, where Ethan rides the carousel.
Brown said the hardest part of raising Ethan is communicating with him. Since he can't speak, the two have to use picture cards and sign language.
“It's a progression we're still learning,” Brown said.
Brown encourages other parents of special needs children to reach out to those facing similar experiences.
“Once I started meeting people who had older children, I got the sense that we were going to make it,” she said.
She also encourages parents to trust their instincts in making decisions for their children because they know best.
Also, Brown said, don't be afraid to try out different types of therapies.
“There are many different therapies,” she said, “and you never know which one will be the match for your child.”