Raelin Hilbers 2018
Raelin Hilbers was just 2 ½ years old when her parents brought her to her first therapy visit. Early in her development, her parents noticed she was missing milestones and would only walk on her knees. “We felt scared, it was tough not knowing where to begin,” they recalled. After seeing a specialist, Raelin was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy. She then began physical, occupational and speech therapy services at St. Francis Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation. When asked about her rehab Raelin reported, “it was fun, I liked it because of the games.” “They made it fun but functional,” her parents recalled of the therapists’ activities. One of Raelin’s favorite therapy activities was, “I got to walk up the stairs to see all the new babies born here.” Therapy was functional, fun and focused on her goal to “be good at everything”.
At first, Raelin had a hard time swimming, running, writing, and speaking clearly. She and her family’s consistent attendance played a major role in her successes now. Over the last 4 years, they attended 375+ visits from Hooper to West Point. “When you see the improvements, you don’t want to miss,” her parents noted.
Raelin’s hard work in sessions and her family’s commitment to attending have made the difference she needed to “get back on track.” Raelin is now swimming, knee boarding, talking clearly, hopping on one foot, writing neatly, and of course chasing all her brothers! When asked about the activities she enjoys, Raelin said “I’m good at it now!” Physically, she advanced from a solid ankle AFO brace to only a small shoe insert. “You feel overwhelmed when you see how much she has to overcome, but she is a determined little girl,” her parents said. Raelin’s therapists would agree that she is a determined little girl with a wonderful family and an extremely bright, limitless future!
