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Meet Sarah Pickering North Little Rock, Arkansas
“Seeing my daughter being wheeled off to brain surgery was one of the worst moments of my life,” says Vicki. “Even though I knew she was in good hands, the shock of the situation was still almost too much to bear.” Due to the severe swelling of her brain, part of her skull had to be removed until her brain healed. Having a portion of her brain exposed was extremely dangerous, and Sarah had to wear a helmet any time she was out of bed. After the surgery Sarah struggled with confusion and memory loss, as well as the inability to walk and move her right arm. She spent several weeks at ACH, receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy. Through it all, Sarah remained upbeat. “Sarah never complained and never even cried about her loss of function,” says Kristi Neely, a physical therapist at ACH. “She always smiled and worked at everything we asked her to do. This young girl, who had endured a traumatic experience, made everyone around her smile.” When leaving ACH, Sarah, she was still weak and required a walker to help her get around. She continued her therapy at the hospital on a weekly basis, where she began relearning things such as writing sentences and staying on task. In November 2008, seven months after her first surgery, Sarah returned to ACH to have her skull bone replaced. Now helmet-free, Sarah no longer needs therapy. “I cannot say enough wonderful things about Arkansas Children's Hospital,” says Vicki. |
In April 2008, Sarah Pickering began experiencing vomiting, headaches and increasing weakness in her left leg. Her mother, Vicki, was concerned and brought Sarah to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for tests. The results revealed an infection had traveled to Sarah’s brain and created an abscess, causing her symptoms. Sarah underwent emergency surgery so doctors could remove the abscess.