When Amari was only three weeks old she developed a bad fever. Doctor’s quickly found it was meningitis. After it cleared, her parents noticed she had lack of coordination and a poor grip. An MRI showed she had signs of having a stroke and brain damage. At five months old, Amari was diagnosed with hydrocephalus (excessive fluid around the brain). The damage was so severe that parts of her brain had greatly deteriorated and 15 to 20 cysts had developed. Amari has endured three brain surgeries, one of which was to place a Y-shaped shunt in her brain to help drain excess fluid. As a result from all of this, Amari was diagnosed with quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. At seven months old she received her first wheelchair.
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nAt the beginning of 2014, one side of Amari’s shunt wasn’t working properly, requiring surgery to repair. Shortly after, Amari stopped eating on her own and she had a G-tube placed in her tummy to help her eat. She also received her first pair of glasses for astigmatism in her eyes and takes medication to help control seizures.
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nAmari has both weekly and bi-weekly therapy as well as speech therapy. Amari has annual MRI’s and will most likely need future surgeries.
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nNow, at two years old, Amari is a fun loving little girl who adores her family. She may have her struggles, but she is every bit as tough, if not tougher, than other kids her age. She loves playing outdoors and interacting with everyone she meets.
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nAmari will be adopted as a Sparrow to Crater High School in Central Point. Students will work hard to raise money for Amari through sponsored community service and fundraising projects.
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