May 18, 2012 was just like I always dreamed it would be. We were adding another child to our already perfect family! After a pretty easy delivery, Ridge Louis was finally here.
The next 5 months of life went along just like any household with a new baby would. Learning how to grocery shop with two kiddos, adjusting to the lack of sleep that comes with a new baby, etc. It wasn't until Ridge was about 5 months old that we started to notice he wasn't developing on schedule. He hadn't learned to roll over, didn't bear weight on his legs and was no where near to sitting up on his own. We started physical therapy and figured he was a kid who would eventually catch up. At 8 months I decided I needed some answers. We took him to a neurologist in Spokane and that is where our lives were forever changed. The doctor asked a bunch of questions and examined Ridge for less than 2 minutes. He then sat down and asked if we had ever heard of a syndrome called Angelman? My eyes immediately filled with tears because I had spent too many sleepless nights surfing the net and knew way to much about this disorder.
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neuro-genetic disorder that occurs in one in 15,000 live births. AS is often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism. Characteristics of the disorder include developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, and walking and balance disorders. Individuals with Angelman syndrome will require life-long care.
Three days after his diagnoses, he was hospitalized for RSV and pneumonia. There we spent 12 days until he was finally able to come off of the oxygen.
We aren't exactly sure what our future holds, but we know we can do it together. The last two weeks have shown us how lucky we are. We have an awesome family and many friends who are there for us whenever we need them!
