Devan Kreager

Devan Kreager was born on December 20, 2004, two months premature. He was hospitalized in NICU for approximately one month and was able to go home on January 25, 2005. Before he was released from the hospital the Doctor’s wanted him to have a brain ultrasound. The results of the ultrasound discovered PVL, a brain bleed and mini stroke, which is the leading cause of Cerebral Palsy. At 11 months old he was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy.

He receives the traditional therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy three times a week with.  Devan is able to sit unassisted for short periods of time up to ninety seconds intervals. He walks in a Gait Trainer for short distances and he cannot feed himself. His speech is minimal and he can nod to a yes or no response. He is very expressive of his feelings and he knows his colours and can count to 10. He is able to follow simple directions and knows and is aware of his body awareness.  Devan is cognitively on target but his body holds him back from being the independent child he strives so hard to be.

After extensive and careful research his mother enrolled him in an alternative treatment program called Hyperbaric Oxygen and Conductive Education. Conductive Education Therapy creates alternate pathways in the brain and Hyperbaric Oxygen stimulates those areas.  Outside of his daily and weekly therapies Devan also participated in the Thera Suit treatment and Universal Exercise program which is another alternative treatment option. This intensive program combined accelerates the normalization of a child’s muscle tone and increase active range of motion. It increases strength and endurance accelerating the progress of newly learned movements and functional skills. The treatment influences the vestibular system and stimulates the brain to re-train the Central Nervous System and provides tactile and sensory stimulation.

The results of both of these treatments have proven successful for Devan. He achieved new landmarks towards his independence that he continuously works so hard to accomplish. His level of speech has improved and he will say just about anything, although his speech is slurred.