“It was all thanks to the team of therapists at CSH who worked together to help her reach her goals.”
When 14-year-old Lieza Zeb was at basketball practice, she noticed her legs beginning to feel heavy and she was struggling to move them. “I went home and told my mom, and we immediately went to the emergency room, where they did an MRI,” she recalls. The scan revealed that Lieza had a cavernoma in her brain, an abnormal cluster of blood vessels that can cause neurological problems. Because the cavernoma was close to her speech center, her local neurosurgeon recommended awake brain surgery to remove the cavernoma, while monitoring her speech.
Right after the procedure, Lieza suffered a stroke that left her entire right side unable to properly function. She was admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, where she spent 11 days before being transferred to Children’s Specialized Hospital’s (CSH) Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital.
Lieza traveled over two hours from New York to New Brunswick, New Jersey to begin her recovery process. “She needed rehabilitation right away because it was crucial in her recovery. We made the arrangements and headed over to CSH to get started and we were so glad they had availability,” stated Lieza’s mom, Sharifa.
Making Strides
While at CSH, Lieza received 24-hour medical and nursing care along with intensive daily physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapy. “The therapists motivated me, and it made me want to do better,” Lieza shared. “The brain is so fragile, and it’s easy to get emotional, it takes a lot of creativity to keep a child motivated on the path to recovery, it’s so easy for them to fall back,” added Sharifa.
Day by day, Lieza grew stronger and more independent. She went from being unable to use her right arm and leg, relying on a wheelchair and walker, and requiring help to complete all her self-care skills to walking on her own, moving her right leg, shoulder, elbow, and wrist, and completing daily tasks independently.
Lieza also struggled with her cognitive skills. She had difficulty expressing her thoughts/wants, finding the words she wanted to say, and remembering information. After working hard in Speech and Language therapy, she was able to regain these skills. “Her hard work and determination played such a large role. By the end of her admission, Lieza was able to express her thoughts/wants clearly, recall information, but most importantly, her confidence in communication grew,” stated speech language pathologist Mileny Perez. “It was a joy watching her communication skills grow each day.”
“She gave more than 100% in therapies every day and was always motivated with a positive attitude. She will continue to do very well,” emphasized physical therapist Colleen Dow. “She was one of the most determined patients I have known. I know she’ll continue to make great progress,” added occupational therapist Alexis Levine.
Celebrating Milestones
Lieza was discharged just in time to attend her 8th grade graduation, where she was cheered on by classmates, teachers, and family as she proudly walked across the stage to receive her diploma. To help her celebrate this milestone, CSH therapists walked nearly a mile with her from CSH to Rutgers Campus to take graduation photos. Lieza continued to show her strength by making the walk without assistance.
“Everyone was excited for her comeback and shed happy tears for her progress,” exclaimed Sharifa. “It was all thanks to the team of therapists at CSH who worked together to help her reach her goals.”
Reflecting on Inpatient Rehabilitation
After weeks of hard work to regain her independence, Lieza reflects on the parts of rehab she loved the most, like playing board games during speech and language therapy, which helped improve her memory and aquatic therapy, which kept her moving and engaged. “It’s amazing having everything in one place. It was so helpful for her recovery,” stated Sharifa. “I couldn’t believe all the activities offered for patients and their families. She even got dressed up and went to the CSH prom! It was such a fun event that gave us a chance to take our minds off everything for a night.”
For other kids going through a similar situation, Lieza encourages you to stay positive! “The mind is a powerful tool on recovery,” added Sharifa. For parents/caregivers, Sharifa emphasized the importance of supporting your child and not expecting too much. “Go with the flow and learn your child’s new normal. After a child's cavernoma removal, parents should focus on creating a calm, supportive environment, closely monitoring for complications, and adhering to medical advice. This includes managing pain and fatigue, facilitating a gradual return to normal activities, and providing emotional support to address any anxiety or behavioral changes. I can't stress how much support is needed during this journey, physical and mental.”
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