Isabella Lombardo

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Isabella Lombardo is an Australian child with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy who underwent a selective dorsal rhizotomy procedure at the age of four and a separate stem cell surgery at the age of six. Her story was profiled on an episode of 60 Minutes in 2018, and in a feature-length documentary film –The Unknown Upside, about her surgeries and subsequent treatments which premiered in March 2019.

Contents

Life

Lombardo was born to parents Joseph and Libby Lombardo in Frenchs Forest, New South Wales. [1] It was not immediately clear to her doctors or parents that she was born with any type of condition. When she was two months old, Lombardo was still unable to lift her head up on her own. [2] It took two years [3] for doctors to correctly diagnose her with spastic diplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy. [4] Quadriplegic cerebral palsy prevented her from walking without help from a walking frame or other people, and she only moved independently with a wheelchair. To reduce muscle pain and tension, doctors administered 27 injections every three months. [5]

In December 2016, Lombardo's parents elected to take her to St. Louis Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri to undergo a selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery to potentially improve her ability to walk and to reduce pain. Lombardo did not qualify for the operation in Australia because she was too young. [5] The cost of the surgery reached $100,000. [6] Her recovery took three months, after which she began extensive courses of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. At that time, she was also able to run with the help of a walker and was learning to walk with walking sticks. [7]

In July 2018, Lombardo was taken to the BIOSS clinic in Monterrey, Mexico to undergo an experimental bone marrow stem cell surgery. For a month after the procedure, she underwent another round of extensive physiotherapy in Texas. She was also able to take her first independent steps during this time. She was profiled on an August 2018 episode of 60 Minutes. [3] In December 2018, she was able to ride a modified bicycle from Queenscliff to Manly. [8] In March 2019, a documentary film directed by Tim Skinner – The Unknown Upside, chronicled Lombardo's story, where she was screened for the first time. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, and speech. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children. Other symptoms include seizures and problems with thinking or reasoning. While symptoms may get more noticeable over the first years of life, underlying problems do not worsen over time.

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A selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), also known as a rhizotomy, dorsal rhizotomy, or a selective posterior rhizotomy, is a neurosurgical procedure that selectively cuts problematic nerve roots in the spinal cord. This procedure has been well-established in the literature as a surgical intervention and is used to relieve negative symptoms of neuromuscular conditions such as spastic diplegia and other forms of spastic cerebral palsy. The specific sensory nerves inducing spasticity are identified using electromyographic (EMG) stimulation and graded on a scale of 1 (mild) to 4. Abnormal nerve responses are isolated and cut, thereby reducing symptoms of spasticity.

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References

  1. 1 2 Head, Rebecca (26 March 2019). "Isabella Lombardo's cerebral palsy battle captured in feature film". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Young, Nina (10 June 2018). "These parents travelled the world to find a miracle for their daughter". Kidspot. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 Little, Liz (19 August 2018). "Little girl with cerebral palsy able to walk thanks to miracle treatment". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Ford, Mazoe (18 December 2018). "Sydney girl with cerebral palsy takes first steps after controversial operation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  5. 1 2 Ford, Mazoe (26 December 2016). "Sydney parents hopeful controversial spinal cord surgery will help their daughter walk". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "'It's transformed her life': Five-year-old girl defies the odds to walk again".
  7. ↑ Ford, Mazoe (23 December 2017). "Sydney girl with cerebral palsy learning to walk and ride a bike after controversial operation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. ↑ Cross, Julie (13 December 2018). "Isabella Lombardo inspires family to get all disabled kids affordable bikes". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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