A 7-year-old Oxford girl with a life-threatening medical condition will have her wish to swim with dolphins fulfilled this summer thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Village Green Companies.
‘I never met a dolphin before and I thought it would be really cool to meet and swim with one,? said little Leah England, a second-grader at Lakeville Elementary, adding she likes their ‘smooth skin? and the way they ‘jump? in the water.
England’s will get her wish in July, as she and her family ? which includes dad Carl, mom Barbara and older sister Monika, 9 ? are slated to spend a week at Sea Wold/Discovery Cove and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida
The money for the Englands? trip was raised by Village Green Companies, one of the Midwest’s largest privately held developers and managers of luxury apartment communities.
Village Green’s goal was to raise $6,500 to cover the cost of Leah’s wish. However, the fund-raiser was so successful that a total of $25,000 was collected to help make other children’s wishes come true as well.
Village Green raised the money at its annual ‘Splash Day,? in which residents, staff and corporate associates are challenged to raise pledges and collect donations to support having them jump ? or be tossed into ? a very chilly outdoor pool.
Nine of Village Green’s properties in six states, including four in Metro Detroit, participated in this year’s Splash Day on April 26. The four Detroit sites raised about $15,000, all of which went directly to Make-A-Wish of Michigan to help Leah and others.
Village Green presented a giant $25,000 check to Make-A-Wish and Leah on April 30 at grand opening of the corporation’s Village Green Townhouses in Oak Park, a 374-unit brownstone-style townhome community located a half-mile west of downtown Royal Oak.
‘I just really want to say thank you for making all this money to send kids on trips,? Leah told the crowd at the check presentation. ‘I really appreciate it.?
At that same event, Leah also received an honorary ‘Key to the City of Oak Park? from the mayor, who donated $100 to Mark-A-Wish.
Swimming with dolphins wasn’t Leah’s first choice for a wish.
Her first two choices were to become a grown-up so she could ‘boss somebody around? and to wrestle a crocodile with Steve Erwin, host of Leah’s favorite television show The Crocodile Hunter, which airs on the Discovery Channel Animal Planet.
‘I like how he talks,? Leah said of Irwin.
When asked if she could beat a crocodile, Leah smiled big and said, ‘Yup.?
‘She’s pretty fearless,? said dad Carl. ‘She’s the extrovert of the family. She’s not shy.?
A natural animal lover who loves horses (which she rides and cares for), dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs, Leah agreed to swim with dolphins after dad suggested it to her.
Leah’s trip is a blessing to both her and her family who have endured a lot since her life-threatening medical condition was discovered in September 2002.
Carl explained that Leah was born with a condition known as ‘chiari malformation,? which means her cerebral tonsils, located in the very back of the brain, are ‘pushed or squeezed down? onto the brain stem, the juncture where the spinal cord meets the brain.
Because the brain was ‘laying down? on the brain stem, it blocked the flow of spinal fluid that typically travels around the outside of the spinal cord, Carl said.
Instead, the spinal fluid traveled on the inside of the spinal cord, which it’s not supposed to do, causing the formation of a ‘syrinx? (which Carl described as a ‘cyst-like? formation or ‘puddle of spinal fluid?). The syrinx made the spinal cord swell, pinching the nerves that controlled growth on the right side of Leah’s body, her dad said.
The muscles on her right side ‘weren’t growing,? which resulted in her skeleton being ‘pulled out of alignment,? causing a ‘severe? curvature of the spine known as ‘scoliosis.?
‘Ms. Laura, my dance teacher, kept saying, ‘Leah, put your back straight,? but I’m like, ‘I am,?? Leah said. ‘I thought, ‘How come she thinks I’m crooked.??
When Leah was X-rayed last September, a 50-degree curvature of her spine was measured by doctors. Carl said Leah’s spine is shaped like the letter ‘S.?
‘That’s fairly extreme,? he said, noting that anything between 30 and 35 degrees requires surgery.
If the curvature advances beyond 50 degrees, it can could cause her lungs to collapse or damage other organs including the heart, Carl explained.
‘When they’re this young and the case is this severe, the curvature can progress quite rapidly? due to natural growth, particularly growth spurts, Carl said. ‘I read one article that said it can progress 10 degrees in one month.?
Carl noted that Leah’s pediatrician didn’t notice any of this at her regular checkup last June. He believes a growth spurt Leah experienced between June and September 2002 made the condition visible.
But the England family isn’t going to let Leah’s condition worsen.
In December, Leah underwent brain surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to take the pressure off the spinal cord and allow the spinal fluid to travel normally.
‘That should hopefully take care of the syrinx. It should start to go away on it’s own,? Carl said.
The Englands will find out whether or not this has happened when Leah undergoes an MRI on June 2.
If the surgery was successful, there are two options to straighten Leah’s spine ? a natural one and a surgical one. The Englands are opting for the first one right now.
Because Leah is so young her bones haven’t fused yet, so the family is hoping that as her body continues to naturally grow, it will ‘straighten itself out. . .not completely, but hopefully to the point where it’s no longer a danger? to her life, Carl explained.
The Englands are hoping the curvature will decrease to between 30 and 35 degrees by the time she’s 13 or 14 when the spine’s done growing.
‘The next few years will tell,? Carl said.
At that point, they will have to decide whether Leah should undergo spinal fusion surgery, in which stainless steel rods are inserted down the spine as a brace and wires are used to ‘pull the spine back as straight as possible.?
‘It’s major surgery,? Carl said. ‘We’d like to avoid it if we can.?
To help straighten her spine, Leah currently wears fiberglass brace, which extends from her armpits down to her hips, 22 hours a day, including while she sleeps and attends school. The brace is purple with butterflies on it.
Carl said the brace must be ‘cranked tight enough until it pulls her body as straight as possible. . .within the realm of what she can tolerate? in terms of the pain it causes.
‘It’s uncomfy,? Leah said. ‘It pushes into my hips and gets really tight.?
‘Not wearing the brace is a special treat for her,? Carl said.
Whenever putting on the brace upsets Leah or thinking about the medical situation becomes overwhelming, Carl said the family finds it therapeutic to talk about the upcoming trip to Florida.
‘Talking about the wish trip really helps us get through the tough times,? Carl said, noting that he ‘can’t say enough good things? about Make-A-Wish.
‘Every detail (of the trip) has been very well handled,? he said. ‘We’re so grateful to them.?
Carl said the trip will be ‘good for the whole family? because it’s something they’re all doing together.
This will be especially good for Leah’s sister Monika, a third-grader at Lakeville Elementary who loves to dance, Carl noted.
Monika’s felt a little neglected at times because Leah’s situation requires so much of her parents? attention, but Carl said she’s been ‘very good about understanding? through this whole situation.
Leah wanted to make sure her sister was noted in this article because ‘she’s special too.?