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Children's Healthcare Of Atlanta

Friday, October 5, 2012

Local Organizations Help Lithonia Teenager Battle Rare Nerve Disorder

13-year-old girl, paralyzed by Guillain Barre Syndrome, fights to regain her life before the illness

One day in early May of this year, 13-year-old Allisa Taylor woke up in her Lithonia home with a slight numbness in her hands and feet. Less than a week later, Allisa was lying in a hospital bed almost totally paralyzed, while doctors sought to diagnose the cause of her sudden onset illness. Her illness turned out to be Guillain Barre Syndrome, an extremely rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves. As with Allisa, weakness and tingling in the extremities are usually the first symptoms, and the symptoms can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing the whole body. There is little understanding of what causes the disease; it strikes with little warning, although it often is preceded by an infectious illness such as the …

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Happy Wagon Company: Bringing Smiles to Sick Children

A 7-year-old with a vision makes an impact.

Unlike many children her age, 7-year-old Ellie Smith has always understood that children are differently abled and that some aren’t in the best of health.  She attended preschool at the Coralwood School, a DeKalb County preschool-through-kindergarten program for both typically developing children and children with special needs, some of which are severe. In addition, her Brownie troop and soccer team have been “inclusion groups,” in which children of various abilities are put together for the benefit of all. According to her mom, Andrea Smith, “Ellie has always understood that kids can be sick, and some of her best friends have special needs. Some kids are afraid of children who are different than them, but Ellie's not.” Last spring, …

Miranda wrighr

2:01 pm on Tuesday, June 28, 2011

SR lifeguards are so proud of you baby girl!   more ›

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