Watch this inspiring 7-year-old born with spina bifida crush her first track race
After seeing her older sisters compete, Aubrey Garcia was determined to do same
After seeing her older sisters compete, Aubrey Garcia was determined to do same
After seeing her older sisters compete, Aubrey Garcia was determined to do same
Aubrey Garcia, a 7-year-old girl from Plainville, Kansas, had a crowd of people in tears of joy as she pushed her way through her first-ever track race, a 50-meter dash, on May 14.
Her mom, Chelsea Garcia, watched as Aubrey stumbled at one point, but kept going, her determined grit shining through as she pushed forward in her leg braces one step at a time.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I don바카라 게임 웹사이트t even know how to describe how we felt to watch her accomplish something like this,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she told . 바카라 게임 웹사이트It was just breathtaking to see something happen that you never thought you would witness.바카라 게임 웹사이트
For Aubrey, the race represented victory over her battle with , a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord doesn바카라 게임 웹사이트t develop or close properly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Depending on severity, it could cause walking or mobility problems, as well as weakness in the leg and back muscles.
The day after Garcia바카라 게임 웹사이트s 20-week ultrasound, they learned that doctors had found a fluid sac on Aubrey바카라 게임 웹사이트s back, and one of the ventricles in her brain was enlarged 바카라 게임 웹사이트 both common indicators of spina bifida. They were sent to a maternal fetal specialist, who confirmed the diagnosis.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I was standing at my kitchen counter when my obstetrician called to give me the news, and I just remember how terrified I was having no knowledge on any of this. I then called her father and relayed the information to him,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Garcia says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트We were both incredibly shocked and asking ourselves, 바카라 게임 웹사이트Why our daughter?바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트
Aubrey had her first surgeries just 24 hours after she was born.
바카라 게임 웹사이트These included a surgery to repair her spinal defect that had left her spinal cord protruding in a sac outside her back, as well as placing a VP shunt used to help drain the extra cerebral spinal fluid from her brain into her abdomen,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Garcia.
Since then, she바카라 게임 웹사이트s had a second surgery to replace that original shunt, and has gone through many pairs and kinds of orthotics to help her mobility. She바카라 게임 웹사이트s also attended intense physical therapy since she was a month old and has recently started with occupational therapy, too.
But her battle to be able to walk started with the ability to stand. At first, she was only able to place weight on her feet while belted upright in a mobile prone stander. Using the wheels attached, she was able to propel herself forward.
Once she was able to try to 바카라 게임 웹사이트walk,바카라 게임 웹사이트 holding onto furniture, her parents introduced a forward-facing walker, which progressed into a rear-facing walker that was pulled behind, which required more core strength.
As she got stronger, her therapist introduced her to crutches. 바카라 게임 웹사이트She just blossomed from there,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Garcia.
By age 6, she was soon walking short distances without her crutches, and it didn't take her long to build up enough strength to toss them to the side.
But Aubrey wasn바카라 게임 웹사이트t content just to walk: After seeing her older sisters participate in community track events, Aubrey was determined that she would run, too.
Joining the team, with its frequent practices, would be too physically draining for Aubrey. But then her parents heard about a single, standalone meet 바카라 게임 웹사이트 a one-day event called the 바카라 게임 웹사이트Little Cardinal Track Meet,바카라 게임 웹사이트 which wouldn바카라 게임 웹사이트t require extra practices.
Once she heard about the 50-meter dash at that event, Aubrey knew she wanted to run it. She used her sisters바카라 게임 웹사이트 track meets as a way to get in some extra practice to prepare for her big day.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Aubrey was attending all of the track meets, and would periodically practice running up and down the track while her sisters were waiting for their turn in throwing events,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Garcia.
The day of Aubrey바카라 게임 웹사이트s race, her whole family was at the track 바카라 게임 웹사이트 including a great grandmother, grandmother, a great aunt, aunt, uncle and cousins.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of the race starting,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Garcia.
They all spread out along the track to cheer Aubrey on as she made her way.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I stood at the starting line, father was at the finish line, and her sisters stood in different spots down the lane,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Garcia.
Afterward, Aubrey was ecstatic with the race, grinning from ear to ear as the crowd congratulated her as she made her way back through the stands.
바카라 게임 웹사이트She just kept telling us that she did it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Garcia says.
With her first race done, Aubrey is already looking forward. Not only has she already asked to participate in next year바카라 게임 웹사이트s track meet, but she is also excited over the possibility of competing in the Special Olympics in February of next year.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Aubrey could easily get frustrated or be upset about having the trouble that she does, but instead, she wears a smile all day, every day,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Garcia. 바카라 게임 웹사이트This is her 바카라 게임 웹사이트normal바카라 게임 웹사이트 and we wouldn바카라 게임 웹사이트t change her for the world.바카라 게임 웹사이트