Hi, my name is Ella Treanor.  I was born August 4, 2004.  I arrived 8 weeks ahead of schedule weighing in at 5 lbs  2 ozs.  I have several  health issues because of my early arrival.  The doctors told my folks I had two brain hemorrhages, one a Grade 2 and one Grade 3 with the most severe being a Grade 4, that caused disruptions in the  parts of my brain that controlled my arms and legs (cerebral palsy) and I also had club feet.  I spent 29 days in the pediatric intensive care unit.  When I got to go home, the doctors  also told my folks I had experienced hydrocephalus (water retention) in my brain, that it had gone down, but it was something my doctors should watch for.

So I went home with Mom Liz and Dad Brad.  Grandma Liz and Grandpa Tom were there along with my Grandpa Jim.  Everything was going pretty well when Mom discovered that my room seemed to be sinking!  We moved in with Grandma Liz and Grandpa Tom immediately.  Seems our house wasn't built too well and it was very old.  When they looked in the living room ceiling they found no support beams for my floor!  Well after a lot more inspection of the house, there was a lot to be fixed.

While living with my grandparents, Mom noticed one of my eyes was wandering .  She thought I might have a "lazy eye" and took me to a pediatric ophthalmologist.  Well, it was worse than an "lazy eye."  I was almost blind.  I had begun to cry a lot and my pediatrician said it was because I had acid reflux.  He sent me to another doctor and I started taking medicine for my reflux.  But that didn't stop my crying.  The doctors kept changing and adding medicine, but nothing helped.  Finally I went to a neurologist who ordered a CAT scan.  After a lot of waiting around for the results, I was diagnosed with "water on the brain" and sent to a pediatric neural surgeon.  I had a shunt put in the right side of my brain to drain the fluid.  My crying had been caused by  the giant headache I continuously had from the pressure on my brain.  That is also what caused by blindness.  The pressure of the fluid in my brain damaged by optic nerves.  Well, this all happened when I was 6 months old.  We'd moved back home in December 2004 and I had my first surgery in February, 2005.

I felt so much better after that, at least for awhile.  I had therapy for my club feet and kept up steady visits to many doctors for regular checkups on my other ailments.  Mom and Dad were getting really frustrated because there didn't seem to be any doctors in Lansing that really understood how to help with kids with cerebral palsy and my other problems.  Finally a doctor suggested we go to Grand Rapids and see a group of doctors there that specialized in kids with cerebral palsy and other head injuries.

So Mom, Grandma and I made our first trip to GR for a 3 hour appointment with these doctors.  They were great.  They gave Mom so many ways to help me.  They put me on a medicine that helped my muscles relax, they gave her suggestions on how to help with my drooling, they told her about the different types of physical therapy I should have and were to get financial help with my medical bills.

Things were going pretty well when my neural surgeon suggested we replace by shunt with a new programmable one that could be adjusted with a computer in his office .  Then if I ever needed  an adjustment, he wouldn't have to go into my head again.  So in August, 2005, we had the surgery.  I spend my 1st birthday in the hospital.  The nurses got me a cake!!  When I got home, I had a real birthday party, but slept through most of it!!!

Then a few months later, I started running a really high fever.  Mom and Dad took me to the emergency room and I was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.  I had developed 3 staph infections that had started in the site of my shunt.  I was one very sick girl!!  The doctors had doubts I would survive.  But they took out my shunt and gave me massive dosages of 3 different antibiotics.  I had a tube coming out of my head to drain the fluid and IV's everywhere.    After several days the infections went away and I had another shunt put in.  Then home again.

Whenever I spend a lot of time in the hospital, my muscles get really weak and I have to learn again how to turn over, push myself up on my arms and pull myself around doing the "GI crawl." I get very weak and it takes many months to get my strength back.  My reflux didn't get better so I had to have nissen surgery and a feeding tube put  in my belly.  Now I get all my main feedings through that.  I can eat and drink by mouth, but it is hard to swallow.

When I was about 3, I started having seizures.  Before I even had a temperature, I would start to seize and then my temperature would spike.  These episodes put me back in hospital several  times.  The doctor started me on seizure medicine but it took a few different tries to find one that actually stops the seizures caused by spiking a temp.

In 2010, I was in the hospital 3 times.  Once for a serious cold, once for H1N1, and once for RSV.  Every time return home, it takes me a while to get my strength back so I am not as active as usual.   Also I have been growing  "like a weed" and I no longer have the arm strength to pull myself around using my "GI crawl."  I can still turn over, but it takes a lot of effort .  So I spend most of my time on my back or sitting in my special chair the school let me borrow for the summer.  Mom gives me "tummy  time" so I can build up my arm muscles to hold my chest and head up and hopefully someday be able to crawl around a little.

I love going to school on the special bus and being with other kids.  I love music class and gym.  I have my own aide and she helps me with projects and takes care of all my needs at school.

I love to swim and be outside, listen to Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob, Wheel of Fortune, Price is RIght and Family Feud.

The golf outing raised enough money to put a down payment on a van and have it converted for wheelchair use.  Below are pictures of my "cool ride."