Mary’s Journey
How CSH gave a young teen back the life she thought she’d lost
At 17 years old, Mary is looking forward to all of the milestones that come with senior year of high school. She's spending time with friends, going to the gym, and thinking about a future in healthcare. Just a few months ago those everyday moments felt impossible.
Last fall, what seemed like a common cold quickly became a life-changing medical emergency. Mary had been experiencing body aches, a runny nose, and a fever for several days, but she assumed it was something she would recover from with a little extra rest. After missing nearly a week of school, Mary got ready one morning to return to class. Before leaving the house, she realized she still wasn't feeling well and decided to stay home one more day.
As the day went on, Mary noticed something just wasn't quite right. She reached for a glass of water on her nightstand and realized her arm felt unusually weak. Later that evening, she stumbled while walking to the bathroom. By the next morning, the weakness had spread throughout her entire body.
"I used every bit of strength I had just to reach my phone and text my dad," Mary remembered. "I really need your help. I can't move my body."
Her parents David and Teresa, carried her to the car and rushed her to the emergency room.
Doctors initially believed Mary just had pneumonia, but overnight her condition rapidly worsened. By the following morning, she had lost nearly all movement in her body. A neurologist diagnosed her with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition in which the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. Doctors believe the illness was triggered by the walking pneumonia she had unknowingly been battling.
Mary was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she was intubated and placed on a ventilator.
"I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't even scratch my own face," Mary said. "Everything I had always done without thinking suddenly depended on someone else."
The physical challenges were overwhelming, but the uncertainty was even harder. Mary didn't know if she would ever walk again, talk again, or return to the life she knew before getting sick. For the next several weeks, Mary remained in the PICU as doctors worked to stabilize her condition. The night after Thanksgiving became one of the most difficult moments for her family when doctors attempted to remove her breathing tube.
"We almost lost her three times that night," David and Teresa said. "It was one of the scariest moments of our lives. We felt helpless. All we could do was stand together in the hallway and pray."
As Mary slowly began regaining movement in her face and eyes, one of her nurses started talking to her about Children's Specialized Hospital. She shared stories about patients who had overcome incredible obstacles and described a place dedicated to helping children rebuild their independence after life-changing illnesses and injuries.
Hearing those stories gave Mary hope that she hadn't felt in weeks.
"I remember thinking, 'I can't wait to get there,'" she said. "I just wanted to start getting better."
When Mary arrived at Children's Specialized Hospital four weeks later, she could move only her face, head, neck, and shoulders. She still had a tracheostomy and a feeding tube, but for the first time since becoming sick, she felt like she was moving forward.
"I had a purpose every day," she said.
Her days quickly filled with physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapy. The rehabilitation team celebrated every milestone, no matter how small, and encouraged her through the difficult days. One of her favorite parts was spending time in the pool.
"They never made me feel like I was just another patient," Mary said. "They celebrated every little victory with me, no matter how small it seemed. They believed in me on days when I wasn't sure I believed in myself."
One of those victories happened unexpectedly.
While visiting Mary one afternoon, her cousins were listening as she told them a story. Without realizing it, she lifted her arm.
It was the first time she had moved it since becoming paralyzed.
"We all immediately started crying," Mary said. "Later, when my parents came back, we surprised them by showing them I could do it again. Looking back, it's still one of the most emotional and meaningful moments of my life because it was the first glimpse that I was getting myself back."
As Mary grew stronger, the rehabilitation technology team fitted her with a power wheelchair that she could control using the movement of her head, allowing her to regain some independence while continuing her recovery. Little by little, she reached milestones that once felt impossible. She found her voice again, began feeding herself, and eventually took her first steps with the assistance of a walker.
For Mary's family, Children's Specialized Hospital became much more than a place for rehabilitation.
"Everyone became family during our time at Children's Specialized," Teresa said. "As a mom, I felt safe leaving my child there every day when I had to go to work or take care of my other children."
One of their favorite memories was celebrating Christmas at the hospital. Although it wasn't where they expected to spend the holiday, the staff made sure every family felt at home. A beautifully catered dinner, presents for the children, visits from Santa, and countless thoughtful touches transformed what could have been a difficult day into one filled with joy and hope.
"It didn't feel like we were spending Christmas in a hospital," Teresa said. "It felt like we were surrounded by people who truly cared about our family."
Mary's progress continued to exceed expectations. By the time she was discharged, she was months ahead of where her neurologists expected her to be. On January 29, nearly three weeks earlier than anticipated, she walked out of Children's Specialized Hospital while the therapists, nurses, physicians, and staff who had become like family lined the hallway to cheer her on.
Today, Mary is back to doing the things she loves. She's enjoying her independence, spending time with family and friends, going to the gym, and preparing for her senior year of high school. Inspired by the people who helped her through the most difficult chapter of her life, she's exploring a career in healthcare so she can one day make the same kind of difference for someone else.
"The whole experience did a lot more good for my family than bad," Mary said. "I'm so grateful for my life, and I know how fortunate I am to have received the care I did at Children's Specialized Hospital."
Today, Mary is also giving back as a Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation Ambassador, sharing her story to advocate for children’s health and show other families that recovery is possible and that even in life's most uncertain moments, there is always hope.
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