Sascha Texas
When Brian and Aree Texas made the decision to adopt, excitement was met with trials as they endured a slightly bumpy road along the way. However, the trials were worth it when they held seven-month-old Sascha, adopted from Kazkhastan, in their arms. While Aree knew from the beginning that Sascha had special needs, she didn’t know to what extent her needs were.
Born at 26 weeks, not only was Sascha extremely premature, but she also had suffered a stroke upon delivery. Because of Aree’s family history of stroke, she recognized the signs Sascha was exhibiting and began inquiring early on with pediatricians about ways to effectively treat her. At nine months old, Sascha made her first visit to a neurologist.
“We were very frustrated,” said Aree. “The doctor was very negative and didn’t give us much hope for Sascha’s improvement.”
Fortunately, the family didn’t give up. They were recommended to Kosair Charities by Brian’s father, a member of the Kosair Shrine. With the help of Kosair Charities, the family was able to get Sascha in front of good doctors who recommended the family to First Steps to get Sascha on the road to the therapy she needed.Unfortunately, once therapy began, Aree lost her job and the family could no longer afford the accumulating medical bills. Kosair Charities was able to provide financial assistance for the family’s medical expenses.
Today, Sascha does bi-weekly occupational and physical therapy at the Kids Center to address the limited use of her right hand and right side of her body. An active five year old, Sascha continues to make great strides towards improvement.
“Sascha is a tomboy, she loves basketball and gymnastics, but she couldn’t do any of those things without the help we have received from Kosair Charities,” said Aree.