Peak Living - Winter 2012 - (Page 7)

As part of Jalyssa’s therapy, Meg Wolter, an occupational therapist with Memorial, dips the nipple from a bottle into cereal. Jalyssa sucks off the food, strengthening her feeding skills and giving her a taste of developmentally appropriate foods. NGELINE MOORE BEAMS WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT HER JALYSSA. “She’s my bundle of peanuts,” she said. Not long ago, Moore boasted about a first for Jalyssa—the day she discovered the taste of carrot and celery sticks. “Oh, my Lord, you should have seen her. She went after it,” Moore said. Anytime a young child accomplishes a first, it is cause for celebration, whether it’s rolling over or slopping up chocolate pudding. But when your child is 5 ½ months old and has been fed through a feeding tube every day of her life, watching her suck on crisp vegetables is, indeed, a triumph. “I can’t wait to see what she does with a sucker,” Moore said with a laugh. “Take her,” Moore had said. Moore’s third daughter was born later that afternoon. And because she was so tiny, Jalyssa had low muscle tone and did not have the muscular control to swallow food. “She has no problem sucking, but she has trouble swallowing. Everything comes up due to gastroesophageal reflux,” said Meg Wolter, an A Rocky Start Jalyssa was born two weeks early, but at a very low weight for her gestational age—only 4 pounds, 4 ounces. During Moore’s pregnancy, an ultrasound during a routine appointment showed that blood was not flowing properly to Jalyssa through the umbilical cord. The doctor told Moore that the child could suffer seizures if she wasn’t born immediately by cesarean section. WINTER 2012 | 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Peak Living - Winter 2012

Peak Living - Winter 2012
Contents
HealthBeat
Q & A
Savoring Sucess
Trauma Training
One Devoted Donor
Focus on Food
Community Calendar

Peak Living - Winter 2012