Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

Tin Man Gets a Heart | Defying the Odds_ A Miracle Journey 🌟

28 Sept 2024 · 0 min

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Aaron Hartman, MD narrates a clinical anecdote about a child with cerebral palsy (CP) who defied early prognoses. The child was reportedly predicted to "never see, never read" and be "a vegetable," and unlike typical CP trajectories—where motor progress often peaks between ages 4–6—this patient continued improving through adolescence (about 17), learning new skills each year.

This is a kid who we're told would never see, never read, who would be a vegetable. And this is one of the things my wife makes a big deal about. In the therapy world, kids with CP usually peak out between four to six years of age. And after that, you start doing surgeries, and they just don't because of they're sitting in a chair and not moving. About 17, she's never peaked out. She gets better every year. She learns to do something new every year. She's a rock star.