About Erin

Hello, my name is Erin Kane. I was born July 30, 2007, on my due date, at full term. I was a healthy baby girl who weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. I had a nine and a ten apgar score. I was just so happy to finally meet the family who I had been hearing for so long.

When I was just six days old.... I started having labored breathing. Mommy and Daddy thought something was wrong so they called my doctor and I was taken to the hospital. They ran all kinds of tests and they came back negative, but still I was breathing strange. I was admitted for observation. The next morning I had a seizure that altered my life.

I was airlifted to another hospital where I was intubated and in a coma for two weeks. My kidneys began to shut down and my parents were not given much hope. To everyone's surprise I began to respond to the medicine and began breathing over my ventilator and began to expel the water, showing that my kidneys were beginning to function once again. I was taken off the ventilator and used a g-tube for the next week. I then was taken off the tube and taught how to take a bottle again. I even learned how to breast feed again!

After three MRI's, five spinal taps, one CT scan, two EEG's, and many blood tests later, it was decided that I had an Acute Hypoxic Ischemic Event that resulted in total injury to my occipital lobe and other portions of my brain. I have what they call Cortical Vision Impairment and will have to learn to live as a blind person. Recently I have been diagnosed with Infantile Spasms, that further challenge me on a daily basis. The doctors question whether I'll ever be able to walk or talk, but my family believes in me. They have taken me home and have been taking me to therapy ever since. I am learning all the time and may not be what I once might have been, but I'm learning to be the best that I can be now. I'm loved and cherished.

I am Erin Kane.

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Questions? Please contact sclark@manteno5.org