Brain Story
This is the story of Cameron Mott who was diagnosed with cortical dysplasia at the age of three. Cortical dysplasia is an abnormality in the development of the cerebral cortex. Everyday, the family has to watch their little girl suffer from the onslaught of six to ten seizures. To control these seizures, Cameron was given huge amount of sedatives that left her disoriented for hours or even for days. But despite the seizures and the heavy dosage of sedatives, Cameron still managed to function typically. However, when she was around five years old, she started to decline to the level of a two or three-year old child. After a while, it was found out that she had Rasmussen’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes progressive neurologic deterioration as the body produces antibodies that attack its own brain cells. The family then reached a conclusion: to be able to save Cameron, they must consent to let her undergo hemispherectomy which would result to the removal of half of her brain. With the absence of half of her brain, Cameron became partially paralyzed on her left side. In order for her to cope up with her new condition, she underwent a long-term training on a split-belt treadmill. This rehabilitation, which is conducted on this specialized treadmill, will help Cameron’s brain relearn the basic, as well as new, walking patterns; thereby, causing her brain to adjust and temporarily eliminate a limp. Now, at six years old, the brace that Cameron wore on her leg was just one of the few traces of her brain injury.