Stories like Christian's are sometimes as hard to read about as it is impossible to pinpoint what his parents, Amy and Matt, could've done differently the day they found their son unresponsive in his pack-n-play.
Christian was born on June 2, 2014, the youngest of four siblings – and the only boy in the mix. Only 12 weeks after being born, Christian went down for a nap like he usually did at that time. Soon his mother checked in on him and found him face down in his portable crib not breathing. Instantly Christian's father was on the phone with 911 requesting help while Amy began life-saving CPR. Nine minutes later EMT arrived and whisked him off to the hospital.
Little Christian spent the next few weeks in intensive care with a breathing and feeding tubes respectively keeping him stable before being released back home with a long road of recovery ahead of him.
He's barely two years old now but Christian has been through so much. He endures hours of therapy as his muscles are painfully hypertonic and spastic, which cause his limbs to be very tight and often extended the majority of his awake time. This issue, that stems from his brain damage, has already forced him to have surgery to lengthen his hip tendons because his hips were literally being pulled out of their sockets due to the intense muscle strain.
"Due to Christian's brain injury, he has sever problems with sensory input and motor control," Amy told us. "He is starting to be able to sit up assisted but cannot roll, crawl, walk, etc. But what he can do is smile and give unending cuddles."
Holton's Heroes is familiar with a brilliant device called the "Little Room" by Lilliworks, and offered the Bertottis a chance to own the advance sensory box along with a resonance board, as it's been proven to help visually impaired children have a better understanding of their surroundings.
We hope nothing but the best for our newest hero Christian and his wonderful family. Additionally, we look forward to following his progress as continues to fight something bigger than all of us: a brain injury.
“Thank you for the opportunity to try the Active Learning technique with Christian. I am sure the “Little Room” will give him what he needs to learn and develop. We look forward to seeing positive changes!”
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.