By NATALIE GALLENTI
WHEN Briohny and Brad Cordell found out they were having triplets they were over the moon.
The Bacchus Marsh couple already had two cherished children and couldn’t wait to welcome another three bundles of joy into their family.
But when Briohny was only 31 weeks pregnant she knew something was wrong.
The expectant mother was having unexplained pains, however after having an ultrasound was told by hospital emergency staff that everything was fine.
A week later Briohny was back in hospital undergoing an emergency caesarean section to deliver her babies.
Little Harrison and Grace thrived immediately, yet precious Sienna had already suffered a stroke in utero and was showing signs of a developmental delay.
It wasn’t until she was six months old that the experienced parents realised something was terribly wrong.
“We knew at six months… she wasn’t rolling over. She wasn’t meeting milestones. Her whole left side had been affected by the stroke,” Briohny said.
The couple had to wait an excruciating six months to finally get the diagnosis that Sienna had cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is a crippling condition and is the most common disability among Australian children.
“We were in limbo for six months, nothing could be done and she was just getting worse,” Briohny said.
“We couldn’t help her and there were no services until she was diagnosed.”
It’s been a tough three years for the little battler who has undergone intense physiotherapy every day, has 10 different specialist doctors and five doctors’ appointments a week.
Thanks to the help of a very close-knit and caring community, the family has dealt with each hurdle as they have arisen, yet Briohny admits the financial pressure has been great.
Sienna’s last two operations to correct her eyesight cost more than $10,000 each, but as Briohny told Star, every penny is worth it.
“Before the last operations she ripped all of her hair out… she was so frustrated that she couldn’t communicate or see us,” she said.
Now the family is bracing for another challenge as it waits to see if Sienna has been chosen to undergo an innovative treatment from the United States.
The TheraSuit is a bio-mechanical suit used to increase feedback to the brain and enhance movement and is at the cutting edge of therapeutic treatment of cerebral palsy.
While there are only limited spaces available in Australia to trial the suit, Briohny remains positive that if given the chance, the treatment may improve Sienna’s ability to move and communicate.
“It gives us hope, life is going to be hard, no doubt about it,” she said.
“It’s the unknown, but we’re very hopeful… this could make life a little easier for Sienna.”
A Facebook page dedicated to the toddler’s plight has been created and can be found at Sienna – one step at a time.
