Aidan's Answer
A journey to recovery from childhood TBI
Paying for Aidan's therapy is always a challenge. The American model of therapy is treatment once a week or so for half an hour. Although we have what is considered to be "good insurance", our insurance pays for 75 of these meaningless visits per year.
The medical community's approach to children with brain injuries is to treat orthopaedic and and muscular problems with surgery, to treat spasticity with drugs such as botox and balcofen, and to provide equipment such as wheel chairs or braces, which are really to help the care givers not the children. No attempt whatsoever is made to help the brain itself overcome its limitations. In Aidan's case, although were told that his brain might be able to spontaneously "re-wire" itself to over come some or all of his limitations, but if it didn't too bad for him and for us.
It is now clear to us that as parents of a child with more than just a minor disability, we are on our own. If we want to provide Aidan with a real chance at a good quality of life we must pursue and pay for therapies that can really make a difference in his life, ourselves. Friends and family without special needs children are always shocked that most of the therapies, supplies and special equipment that we buy for Aidan are not paid for by insurance.
These therapies cost thousands of dollars for a few weeks. They often require that we pay travel and lodging expenses.
Admittedly, we have spent money on treatments that have not helped, but we had to try. We have had small successes with other therapies such as Hyperbaric Oxygen and Conductive Education, and we have no reason to believe that Aidan cannot continue to make improvements if we continue these therapies. Aidan will never be "cured", but he can learn to overcome.
The medical community's approach to children with brain injuries is to treat orthopaedic and and muscular problems with surgery, to treat spasticity with drugs such as botox and balcofen, and to provide equipment such as wheel chairs or braces, which are really to help the care givers not the children. No attempt whatsoever is made to help the brain itself overcome its limitations. In Aidan's case, although were told that his brain might be able to spontaneously "re-wire" itself to over come some or all of his limitations, but if it didn't too bad for him and for us.
It is now clear to us that as parents of a child with more than just a minor disability, we are on our own. If we want to provide Aidan with a real chance at a good quality of life we must pursue and pay for therapies that can really make a difference in his life, ourselves. Friends and family without special needs children are always shocked that most of the therapies, supplies and special equipment that we buy for Aidan are not paid for by insurance.
These therapies cost thousands of dollars for a few weeks. They often require that we pay travel and lodging expenses.
Admittedly, we have spent money on treatments that have not helped, but we had to try. We have had small successes with other therapies such as Hyperbaric Oxygen and Conductive Education, and we have no reason to believe that Aidan cannot continue to make improvements if we continue these therapies. Aidan will never be "cured", but he can learn to overcome.
I may be contacted by e-mail at: aidansmom@aidansanswer.org
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