At first, Judy Bergman joked that her baby, Noelle, appeared to be a lefty because she rarely used her right hand.
Soon, however, it became obvious that Noelle’s right leg, too, was weaker than the left. After visiting specialists, the Grayslake family learned the surprising truth: Their daughter, now 2, had experienced a stroke while in the womb.
“I had never heard of a child having a stroke,” said the 36-year-old Bergman, who formerly associated strokes only with the elderly.
She fears that others, including physicians, share that view and that such a view could delay diagnosis and treatment.
She is training to run a half-marathon in January in Phoenix to raise money to heighten awareness and fund pediatric research during the American Stroke Association’s Train To End Stroke program.
“The earlier the child gets into therapy, the greater chances of them recovering some of their lost mobility or function,” said Bergman, who saw no signs during her pregnancy.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, damaging tissue and causing lack of brain function. Although research is limited, some studies suggest that stroke occurs in six of 100,000 children, according to the American Stroke Association.
That compares with about one of every six people age 55 and older suffers a stroke, according to the association.
For more information, visit http://teamchicago.kintera.org/az06/jbergman.
