BPI is a preventable injury to babies

Published 12:08pm Friday, October 21, 2011
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The brachial plexus injury community is recognizing the annual International Brachial Plexus Injury Awareness Week during the week of Oct. 16-22. A brachial plexus injury is the result of an injury to the nerves in the neck that make the shoulder, arm and hand functional. The resulting paralyses differ according to the severity of the injury.

I, myself, know this all too well. My son, who is now 5 months old, suffered from a brachial plexus injury to his right arm at birth. He has already had nerve reconstruction surgery. There will be more surgeries down the road, and there are no guarantees of how much function he will have in that arm.

At this time he has no use of his hand or arm. We do therapy daily at home to keep the joints from getting stiff. As he gets older, the need for occupational and physical therapy will increase.

This is a preventable injury that we now have to live with for the rest of our lives. I hope that my son will inspire many people as he overcomes the obstacles that lie ahead.

For more information about brachial plexus injuries, visit the following web site: www.ubpn.org or call the United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc. toll-free 1-866-877-7004.

Carly Schiesser

Fergus Falls

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