Abigail Palacios
On September 14, 2018, our families lives changed forever and will never be the same again. This date is not only the anniversary of Abigail losing her ability to breathe, walk and sit up but she became paralyzed from the neck down and on a breathing machine. She crashed within 48 hours (about 2 days) of the onset of her fever and silenced the hospital forever. As she was the only child in the city and the then became the third child in the state of Georgia to be diagnosed with AFM and now has become a miracle. As we were told that she will never walk again and will continue to have multiple health problems and her future will uncertain, she was able to fight and graduate from ICU at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta 4 months after her onset and do 3 months of rehab. She then set on to be on CNN to bring awareness and show the world what was taken from her and that she one day will be herself again even against her odds. Abigail was able to graduate from rehab and sent home in January of 2019 in a wheelchair will full paralysis.
In March of 2019, we were told that her arm was dead, and the nerves were not responding. Her father and I found a Surgeon to take the risk to open and do a nerve transfer on her left arm. As he went in, he found the tests were wrong and the nerves were working. The risk 4 doctors told us not to take was worth it. As the risk was high because of her being 6 months post her onset, underweight, paralysis and medical complications, the surgery was not recommended. My gut told me to take the chance, Abigail can handle it and a miracle happened at 11:22 when the doctor walked in and told us we had a chance.
It is now May, and she is in therapy 5 times a week Monday-Friday for 2 hours a day and I have set my life on hold to beat the odds of medical professionals and on a Thursday afternoon Abigail was able to walk on her own.
In July of 2019, Abigail has made an almost full recovery and walking, running, sitting up and beating the odds. Her left arm, the first thing to go has been a slow process. A nerve heals only a couple of milliliters every day and it could take years, even up to her adult years for her arm to move again. Today in 2023, she can move her arm up to her elbow and has couple finger movements which means the surgery was a success.
As we had to put her left arm on hold in 2020, her spine became a medical concern affecting her left lung and kidney and she needed to complete the cycle of meta casts. She was in surgery and has casts put on every 3 months repeatedly. No bathing, no swimming. No childhood again. We were waiting for a surgery date in 2022 when we were told the casts were not working and she now must have the spinal rods put in, but she did not meet the requirements because of her weight. I did not give up, I found another doctor who was able to complete the job and help her, as tests were proving medically, she needed it completed.
During the spinal rod testing clearances, we found that her diaphragm was paralyzed. Therefore, needing a surgery to pinch and give her room for her left lung to expand. Fixing two medical conditions in one, so we went with the surgery. In January of 2023, she had her spinal rod surgery and did better than the rest even with all the risks, and again beating her odds.
Abigail now has more freedom and more life in her than she did at 2 years old prior onset. She has adapted and learned from this horrific experience and now wants to show the world “if I can, so can you.” She always wanted to be a cheerleader and once her Orthopedic doctor gave her the clearance (after lots of negotiating) we got to work for the start of her journey to be an example. She tried out for the only cheer competition team in our city and made the team! She was even asked to be a flyer (since tumbling is a work in process and not cleared to tumble) and to compete on two teams!
Her goal is to show the world where she started and where she is going. Things that people have told her are impossible or she could never do, and she has done them. Each day, we complete a new goal, and she improves and works hard every day to get the life that was taken from her. As life is unfair, she will understand this one day. Abigail wants to show other fellow AFM family members to never give up and to keep fighting.
Today, we are currently cleared to start working on her left arm again years after on her onset. We have hand, nerve and shoulder appointments coming up and as she keeps fighting against her odds, she will show up and be rejected repeatedly but leave with her smile and try again but her story will not end or her will to be the example for others affected by AFM, she can be their voice, their faith, their will, their power and above all their sister. Abigail's story will be continued....
So, with that said stay tuned!
