Childhood Stroke

Childhood stroke can become less and less of an obstacle with time and perseverance.

I suffered a stroke on Friday, July 131th, 1984, at the age of 7. At least, that's the conclusion that all my various doctors have come to over the past 22 years. The three main diagnoses I received when it first happened were cerebral palsy, encephalitis and stroke. I've been to primary care doctors, neurologists, cardiologists, hematologists and physiatrists and they all agree on one thing - my right-sided paralysis and left-sided weakness are classic signs of a stroke.

My medical treatment as a child was hit and miss. Since no one knew for sure what had happened to me and since a stroke at such a young age was very rare, doctors were usually at a loss as to what to do for me. Since stroke in childhood and adolescence has become more common in the last 20 years for a variety of reasons, treatments are becoming more advanced. If proper treatment is administered in adequate time, chances of suffering the effects that still follow me through every day are slim.

There were also no resources for my parents in 1984. The standard agency services and literature on dealing with a disabled child were available, but there were no resources specifically targeted to parents of a childhod stroke survivor. Today, a wealth of such resources can be found on the Internet.

Visit the Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association and Pediatric Stroke Network for more information on childhood stroke.