Isabella Dominguez with her mother Chanel, who says she can now feed herself
(Picture: Evelina London Children’s Hospital)A toddler who was unable to move her arm due to a brain injury can now control it thanks to pioneering treatment at a London clinic.
Two-year-old Isabella Dominguez was born at 26 weeks and suffered a brain injury which caused hemiparesis, limiting movement on the left side of her body.
She was unable to move her left arm and was referred to the Reach programme at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
This offers intensive rehabilitation for children aged between six months and 16. Isabella completed two intensive upper limb programmes and was seen five days a week for six weeks in partnership with her local therapist.
Her mother Chanel, 30, from Bromley, said it was unlikely that her daughter would have gained movement in her left arm without the programme.
She said: “Isabella is like a different child and is much more independent.
She can do everyday tasks such as drinking from her water bottle, feeding herself with a knife and fork, and playing with her toys. We can let her play with other children and use a climbing frame without worrying that she might lose her balance and fall.”
The programme was pioneered by Dr Anne Gordon, a consultant occupational therapist at Evelina.
She said: “Children who have completed the programme have been able to go from not being able to do tasks such as picking up a pencil or holding a spoon, to being able to feed themselves.”
