Joshua L Also Known as “the Mayor”

“Having these expert therapists so close to home was so important to us knowing how much therapy Joshua needs”

Striving for Independence after Multiple Brain Surgeries; Joshua Starts With His Infectious Smile

Jpshua in a nursing bedBounding through the door with an infectious smile is a little four year old named Joshua Lyons. Immediately he gives the receptionist at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside a hug and in return, she hands him his favorite sticker. They are best buds. The receptionist makes Joshua giggle while his grandmother takes her usual seat in the waiting groom.


Joshua has a bit of a limp and doesn’t use his right hand as well as his left, but that doesn’t slow him down one bit. At just four months old, he was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage in his brain which caused bleeding within the brain tissue. Fourteen brain surgeries to treat epilepsy and hydrocephalus has left Joshua weak on one side of his body.

This little dynamo has come a long way. In fact, his family moved from New York to Newark, New Jersey to be closer to the experts in pediatric specialty care and therapy available here at Children’s Specialized Hospital. Joshua is a patient of Dr. Evelina Okouneva, pediatric neurologist who has seen the transformation first hand.


joshua speaking“Joshua had a very rocky start in life and has had to over come some major medical challenges with his seizures and recovering from multiple brain surgeries,” said Dr. Okouneva. “He’s as cute as a button and we know he has lots of potential. Our hope is that through continued treatment and therapy at Children’s Specialized he will reach and exceed everybody's expectations.”

Joshua has been a long time patient of Dr. Okouneva as part of our ambulatory care center and receives outpatient therapy in Mountainside for his acquired brain injuries. Children’s Specialized Hospital prides itself with positive outcomes for patients being treated for traumatic or acquired brain injuries. These two core services allow us to closely monitor our patients’ progress and our therapy teams easily communicate with the patients’ physicians.

Occupation, speech and physical therapy sessions are a weekly routine for Joshua and Audrey Lyons, his grandmother and primary caregiver, who visit Children’s Specialized at least three times a week.

“Having these expert therapists so close to home was so important to us knowing how much therapy Joshua needs,” said Audrey Lyons. “Even more important is the wonderful care he receives when we’re here. All of the therapists are amazing. They have helped him regain so much since his surgeries, and we will forever be grateful.”

Joshua and mother

During a recent therapy session, occupational therapist, Sydney Perlow, discusses one of Joshua’s personal goals.

“We are working on him being a bit more independent,” said Perlow. “We want him to be able to improve his fine motor skills on his weaker hand and he’s really showing some great results. Once he starts school we will start to use an iPad in his therapy sessions to practice writing, he loves using technology and it really keeps him engaged.”

It was through the generosity of an anonymous donor that enabled Children’s Specialized Hospital to integrate the use of iPad technology in occupational and speech therapy sessions at all of the locations. Joshua is just one example of how the generosity of others can significantly impact the daily lives of children with special needs.

Joshua continues to have seizers and the fluid pressure in his brain needs to be monitored closely. Audrey hopes to enroll Joshua in preschool, but each time she begins the process Joshua has needed emergency brain surgery.

“We are taking it one day at a time and celebrating each new achievement he makes,” said Audrey.