In utero ischemic stroke, cerebral palsy
In 2017, 4-month-old Chadeyn Beal was in a car accident. Routine imaging revealed that she had suffered from an in utero ischemic stroke, a disruption in blood flow to a fetus’ brain. The stroke caused cerebral palsy affecting her left side, leading her to require both physical and speech therapies.
When she was 4 years old, her family moved to Tuscaloosa, and that is when her first seizure occurred.
“Life was hard. We never knew when she would have a seizure,” Chadeyn’s mother Christina Beal said. “It took a lot out of her, and she was always very tired and irritable. She would have times where she would get so upset and just cry for 30 to 45 minutes, and nothing could calm her. We were at the point where we didn't want to go places with her because her crying got so bad.”
Chadeyn was referred to Dr. Tony McGrath, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s of Alabama. He put her on epilepsy medication, but it had to continually be increased to stop the seizures. She was then referred to Dr. Kathryn Lalor, an epileptologist at Children’s.
“She did multiple tests and scans to see what would be the best route forward, and after multiple medication changes, tests, seizures and hospital stays, Chadeyn was brought up to the epilepsy board,” Christina explained. “The board recommended a right-sided hemispherectomy.”
Chadeyn was referred to Dr. Jeffrey Blount, a neurosurgeon at Children’s, and she had the procedure done in August 2023. The main goal of the procedure is to stop the seizures by completely disconnecting one cerebral hemisphere from the other in order to prevent seizures from spreading to healthy parts of the brain.
“Chadeyn went through the surgery quite well and stayed in the hospital for 16 days,” Christina said. “While we were there, we met many amazing doctors and staff and received wonderful care. They made sure she was always heard and seen. She had a lot of anxiety, and they calmed her with videos, games and letting her draw on her sheets. She was able to pick the smell for her surgery and the song.”
Chadeyn was out of school for a few weeks and was taught at home following her surgery. A teacher came to the family’s home once a week to check her work and bring assignments. She was not allowed to do any strenuous activities, such as running or jumping, for a month after her surgery. She also participated in physical, emotional, speech and occupational therapy.
Since her surgery, Chadeyn has been seizure free, on a low dose of only one anti-seizure medication and has been able to experience life as a typical child. She enjoys dance and playing softball with the Miracle League, a non-profit organization that builds and operates sports fields for children with disabilities.
“She has more energy and is remembering things easily now,” Christina said. “We still have some challenges, including a problem with her peripheral vision, but I am thankful to all her doctors and the team that got us to where we are today. We still work very closely with all of these doctors to ensure Chadeyn is getting the best care possible.”
