Adelynn "Ady" is a spunky, loving, caring independent little girl. She is a warrior! When Ady was born, her parents were unaware that a child, let alone a newborn, could ever have a stroke. Her mother, Danielle, recalls their journey in the beginning and shares in hopes of creating awareness and education that stroke in children happens. "People need to know it is at least a possibility for children to have strokes. There needs to be support and a plan of treatment available for families."

"I had an uneventful pregnancy, great in fact, minus the terrible months of morning sickness! On the day I went into labor, doctors were concerned because Ady’s heart rate was elevated. After　delivery they whisked her out of the room. I held Ady for the first time in the Adventist nursery　12hrs　after she was born,　it was there that she had her first seizure and she turned purple in my arms. It was any mother’s purest nightmare. She had 7 more heart wrenching seizures in the nursery before we were transferred to Emanuel via ambulance."

"We were at Emanuel for a week before we were told that she had suffered an acute stroke to the entire　right side and middle areas of her brain. They cautioned us not to be alarmed if doctors used the term "cerebral palsy", it just meant a brain trauma. They told us that it was too early to tell what her future may be like, that there was a chance she may never crawl, walk, or talk. My heart just sank. It was just so much to take in. I　continually tried to focus and remind myself what the doctor had said to me "don’t blame yourself", because I couldn't have done anything to prevent this. However, as a mother, it played over and over in my head of every possible thing I could have done better or different."

"When we all came home, I spent every extra moment researching what we needed to do, and the steps we could take in helping our daughter. Seeking doctors and different therapy for our daughter. I felt like most doctors had no helpful avenue for me, just a lot of wait and see, dead ends. The doctors we talked with knew it was "possible" for a child to have a stroke, but there was not a typical treatment plan. In 2010, there was such limited information about children and stroke, not even the larger organizations for stroke had any helpful information."

"Needless to say overtime, we got there, we forged our way and advocated for Ady. We built a team of doctors and therapists that all support Ady and continue to do so. We have our ups and downs, daily appointments and melt downs- for both of us, but she is our walking, talking, spunky little girl that is the heart and glue　of our family. Our journey may have been difficult, and it impacted all our lives, but it has made us nothing but closer as a family. It reminds us daily to take nothing for granted."

Many children, just like Ady, receive a diagnosis of cerebral palsy from having had a pediatric stroke. Danielle, along with other stroke impacted families and friends formed the "BA Warriors Team" for the United Cerebral Palsy- Walk Roll Run event held each September in Portland, Oregon. Honoring childhood stroke survivors and supporting the UCP's "Family Support Department" that helps over 800 families in Oregon and SW Washington. If you are in the Portland area and would like to join up with the BA Warrior’s, please go to their team page to register!

Stroke, cancer, diabetes, heart defects; these are all important causes as a society we have had to face. When you add the word "pediatric" before any of them, it becomes even more challenging, it can take the air right out of a room knowing and accepting that these things happen among children. When it impacts you directly it becomes necessary to take in information,　however when it doesn't, it can often be easier to avoid the discomfort of supporting the awareness in it.

The reality is, that as much as we hope, children are not immune to difficulties. They are not immune to diseases that once were viewed as restricted to adults. Any organization that has ever come together on behalf of a cause for children's health, have all started with hope. They have all started at a beginning. Growing that awareness and advocating for that research that leads to supported childhood treatments and resources is the ongoing goal among many causes.　

When organizations, communities and families share about pediatric stroke, we all come from that same place of hope, that same beginning for a crucial cause. Stroke among children is not new, and in the last decade more has been achieved through awareness, advocacy and research, but more needs to continue to be done. When we are still at a place that general communities are unaware of the signs and symptoms of a stroke in a child and what steps to take, and when medical communities still don’t all have a rapid response among hospitals in place, it becomes even more apparent that the need is real for that awareness to grow for pediatric stroke.

Large organizations committed to the research and awareness for stroke in adults have made some greater advancements that our children may still benefit from as they grow into young adults, however having only minimally focused on the pediatric side of stroke, family resources and approved childhood treatments are still currently limited. At times, rehabilitation treatments are so new that they are not yet covered by insurance for children. All these mentioned opportunities are currently some of the obstacles preventing the most vital thing of all, a child receiving the greatest care and support that they need after a stroke.

As awareness grows out of a need, and more voices come together, changes can happen for stroke impacted children and their families. This is why we share, why we are committed to our mission. This is why a number of other organizations founded for pediatric stroke exist, because there is still such a huge need to be filled. Support for pediatric stroke awareness is always deeply felt and appreciated and because of that, we thank you.