MEET DAKOTA!
The Story
January 24, 2019 would not be a typical day for our family. It was the day our 12 year old straight-A student came home and insisted she was too ill to attend school the following day. She was suffering from a headache that was assumed to be a side effect of a sinus infection. By the afternoon of January 25th, Dakota’s symptoms had worsened and we looked to get into the doctor’s office first thing Saturday morning. They treated her for influenza even though test came back negative. She had all the “right” symptoms so it was the best call. Dakota began a round of Tamiflu with periodic doses of Motrin/Tylenol to treat her temperature. She only got worse by Sunday night and Monday morning we rushed her to the emergency room. By the time she arrived in the emergency room she had lost all control and function on the left side of her body and a CT Scan was ordered. The findings were disturbing. Dakota had somehow contracted an infection on her brain and needed to be airlifted to a children’s hospital better suited to care for her.
The Gift
Dakota was airlifted to INOVA-Fairfax. She was immediately rushed into another CT Scan and the original diagnosis was confirmed, Dakota had Bacterial Meningitis. There was a considerable amount of infection growing around the frontal lobe of the brain and she needed to be in the operating room immediately. God blessed us and gifted us the most successful and loving care team INOVA had to offer! While we were concerned, we found comfort in knowing she would be treated by the best. After the first operation, there was no improvement and Dakota would need a second operation. The next day, January 29th, she was back in the operating room for a much more aggressive procedure that would require opening her skull to wash the infection out. The procedure was a partial success and it would be another week before we found out Dakota would need a third operation to finish the job. Thank God we have the gift of faith! We remained trusting of God and his word to heal her. We remained trusting of the best medical team in Northern Virginia and their medical wisdom. After Dakota’s third operation in a week, she was on the mend
The Testimony
Dakota has returned to school and with just 2 additional weeks make-up work from the 3rd quarter of school, she has not only caught up but has maintained her 4.0. She has not made a grade lower than an A in all of her courses. Dakota has been cleared for physical activity and has signed up to begin participation in volleyball and tennis. Having participated in intense inpatient physical therapy after being discharged from the hospital, she continues to work on physical therapy at home as well as weekly outpatient visits. God has blessed her and our family beyond our imagination and we are thankful. Dakota is a resilient young lady and it shows in her efforts to daily maintain her academics and work to get back to being a successful student-athlete.