Little Celeste Sparks, born one day after Holton on October 2, 2014, was only 18 months old when she was allegedly shaken by her caretaker on March 15, 2016. It’s been a long road but Celeste is now home with her parents after spending 11 grueling weeks hospitalized.
As if their daughter’s traumatic brain injury and recovery hasn’t been hard enough, sadly the woman who the Sparks family believes intentionally hurt their child has suffered no repercussions for her heinous act.
Celeste’s parents, Craig and Courtney, have struggled to deal with the financial and emotional hardships that come along with a pediatric brain injury. As Courtney returned to work full-time, it is Craig who makes sure Celeste is at her many intense therapy and doctor appointments. Craig also serves as their family’s emotional rock as his constant positive spin on their daughter’s recovery has been the driving force behind keeping his wife moving forward.
At the time Celeste was hurt, she had already successfully accomplished many wonderful milestones like walking, feeding herself, and communicating. Now, Celeste struggles to simply sit-up at times and she can no longer stand on her own, let alone walk. Her vision was not completely lost, but they fear it was compromised judging from recent eye exams. Craig and Courtney desperately want to bring their daughter back to where she once was – and honestly, we feel she’ll get there.
Celeste is a fighter as she’s already made monumental strides in her recovery. Her therapist feels it’s time to take her rehabilitation to the next level and suggested a Rifton Pacer Gait Trainer with various attachments. Holton’s Heroes is proud to say we were able to purchase the specialized gait trainer for the Sparks family giving them one less thing to worry about.
As you can see from the photos below, Celeste is well on her way to becoming one of those amazing success stories we all crave to hear when it comes to a severe traumatic brain injury.
We love you Celeste and wish you and your family nothing but hope, strength, and love as you continue to beat the odds.
“I think your charity is amazing. It’s incredibly helpful to our daughter, as well as our family. That fact that [Holton’s Heroes] is willing to work so hard to help other families dealing with TBIs is really inspiring.”
Holton's Heroes sponsored three incredible campers to attend the 2018 summer session of Camp Cranium—a camp dedicated to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for children with brain injuries.