Jamie’s mom lovingly calls her “Boss Baby” – a nickname that captures the take-charge personality that has served her well in her rigorous four years of life.
They found out that Jamie also had a club foot, dislocated hips and a bladder issue when she was born. She spent her first four weeks in the NICU and underwent seven surgeries by the time she turned 2.
She comes to CHoR regularly for specialty care from our urology, orthopaedics and neurology teams – as well as coordinated care in the spina bifida clinic. She also started physical therapy here when she aged out of early intervention at 3. That’s when she met Brittany Wynn, one of her primary physical therapists.
For now, Jamie primarily uses her signature neon pink wheelchair to get around, but Brittany continues to work with her on walking and total body strengthening.
“Jamie has made amazing progress and continues to flourish. She began working with KAFOs (knee-ankle-foot-orthotics) and a posterior walker. She and her parents attended therapy very consistently, and she steadily became stronger and more independent,” said Brittany. “She eventually was able to move completely independently with the walker, and was then ready to progress to a less restrictive assistive device.”
She hasn’t slowed down since. Jamie had a pair of forearm crutches from her time in early intervention that she hadn’t been able to use very successfully. She and Brittany began working with them in therapy and now she only needs stand-by assistance, meaning she’s doing the hard work and simply needs someone nearby to help provide stability as needed.
In addition to physical therapy twice a week – where she races her wheelchair through the waiting room and hallways, pushing fast and then coasting through while giggling – Jamie plays basketball for Sportable and has her sights set on rock climbing and swimming. She also spends plenty of time traveling to beaches and water parks, listening to music, dancing and taking silly pictures with her mom.
“She has a normal routine. I don’t treat her any differently because she has a disability,” said Bryanna. “I was told that she wasn’t ever going to walk, but she can walk with a walker and sometimes even without crutches when she has help. She’s made huge progress in four years.”
Her spunk and sense of humor have undoubtedly helped too.
“The first word that comes to mind to describe Jamie is sassy. She definitely has a flair for fashion and comes to her PT sessions accessorized with her favorite colors and stuffed animal friends,” added Brittany. “She’s always smiling, laughing and playing with her parents in the waiting room and is often making the front desk staff laugh while she waits for her appointments.”
Jamie’s also known for loving the color orange, JoJo Siwa, Blues Clues, Frozen and Spiderman. She’s a picky eater, but if given a choice she’ll choose Cheetos, chicken nuggets and ramen noodles. She knows what she likes and how to work hard for what she wants.
Boss Baby has a bright future ahead of her.
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