Sometimes we get caught up in the visualization of the different problems that will face Ella throughout her life (and that is totally ignoring the trials everyone goes through growing up). Her first is coming up, the hemispherectomy. On May 1st, half her brain will be removed. Through her life she will have to go through a series of operations to correct the structural abnormalities stemming from her hemihypertrophy. These will involve jaw and facial operations, dental surgery and plastic surgery to deal with the additional mass in the right side of her face.
There will have to be all kinds of treatments dealing with the nevus on her face (the darker birth mark) and sporadic hair growth on the right side of her scalp. How will she manage through all these often painful processes? I just can’t imagine.
I am hoping her calm and happy disposition won’t be affected by all of this, but is that at all possible? Well, first she has to survive the hemispherectomy, we all do, and come out the other end with flying colors, overcome her developmental delays prove that you can do anything if you put half your mind to it.