Paralyzed teen works out to be strong like mom
Every week, 15-year-old Elena Porras looks forward to going to the gym with her mother, Julie.
Her favorite exercises are the inverted row and medicine ball toss.
“They make me strong,” she said.
After getting vaccinated, the teen started going to Life Time City Centre twice a week — with trainer Danielle Henley leading the way.
Working out has helped Elena come out of her shell, Henley said. “You really get to see her personality,” Henley said. “She’s like the funniest kid I know.”
Everything is modified for Elena, who is paralyzed from the waist down.
Henley guides Elena through exercises to strengthen her shoulders and arms, as well as core work.
“Our goal is that, if something ever happened, for her to be able to push her wheelchair up and get her body back in the chair,” Henley said.
The other mission is to make it easier for Julie to help her daughter — by improving Elena’s independence.
Going to the gym also has emotional benefits.
“She loves it because it’s something she sees her mom do to release stress,” Henley said. “Since it’s a good outlet for her, Elena wants to do it, too.”
Henley credits Elena’s positive outlook to Julie’s influence.
“She follows her mom’s example,” Henley said. “Elena is the type of person that if you’re having a bad day, she’ll make it impossible to keep having a bad day.”
Elena is a motivation to others at the gym — and even her trainer. “Just being in her life, she’s made my life better,” Henley said. “I’m thankful to her.”
And the feeling is mutual for mother and daughter.
“What do you think about mom working out?” Julie asked.
“I love it,” Elena said. “You really inspired me to work out.”
Her mother breaks out in a wide grin. “Aw, you inspire me, kid.”
Neuroblastoma diagnosis
Julie just knew something was wrong during her pregnancy. “Things felt off,” she said.
Her OB-GYN, however, thought the first-timer’s nerves were to blame.
He was equally dismissive, after she gave birth April 24, 2007.
“What’s wrong? Why isn’t she crying?” Julie said she asked the doctor.
She clearly remembers his response, “‘When are you going to accept that you have a perfectly healthy baby?’ ”
But it wasn’t long after that nurses flipped the newborn over and discovered a golf ball-size mass on her abdomen.
Elena was whisked away for a chest X-ray — and then transported immediately to Texas Children’s Hospital where the growth was confirmed to be a tumor. Doctors suspected neuroblastoma, a cancer that forms in developing nerve cells, like those in a fetus.
Neuroblastoma accounts for 50 percent of the cancers in infants and is the most common cause of a tumor in those younger than 1 year old, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Still, the diagnosis is rare, accounting for 7 percent to 10 percent of childhood cancers.
Tumors often form in the abdomen, like Elena’s.
“She was 12-hours old,” Julie said. “She had chemo before she had milk.”
When Elena was finally diagnosed with stage 3 neuroblastoma, doctors recommultiple mended four rounds of chemo before surgery, with lengthy breaks in between to allow Elena time to recover.
“But, after four rounds, they still weren’t happy,” Julie said. “The tumor did not really shrink.”
Doctors prescribed four additional rounds. By the time she suffered through the sixth chemo treatment, however, her body was not bouncing back as it had before. Doctors decided to move up the surgery, which was slated for early September 2007.
After a 12-hour operation, the surgeon told Julie that Elena’s spine was wide and strong, like a rope in a game of tug of war — except for where the tumor caused it to atrophy.
“There, it was barely a piece of dental floss,” Julie said.
The result, not being able to move her body below her navel, would affect Elena for the rest of her life.
In addition, the amount of chemo, delivered at such an early age, had long-term side effects.
“Verbally, she’s better than most adults,” Julie said. “She can have conversations about important things. She knows what matters in life.”
But conceptually, Elena sometimes struggles. For instance, mathematical equations elude her, as does most reading.
“She’s super smart. There are just certain things that don’t connect,” Julie said. “They call it ‘chemo brain.’ ”
Physically stronger
Julie has long been a member at Life Time City Centre — but she rarely went. Instead, she would go for runs. “I wasn’t a gym person,” Julie said.
That would change.
“One time, I was going to pick up Elena, and she told me, ‘Wow, I’m too heavy for you, right?’ ” Julie recalled. “She was like 80 pounds.”
The truth was that her daughter’s weight was getting to be too much for Julie to lift — but she did not want Elena to know.
“I didn’t want her to think that anything she does is too much, that I can’t handle it,” Julie said.
She went to Life Time and met Crystal Flores, who suggested lifting barbells from the floor and a program called Alpha.
The course combines Olympic-style lifting and strength training. Participants progress through increasingly technical movements under the guidance of a coach.
“I was very intimidated,” Julie said. But now, she has been in Alpha for five years and works out almost every day of the week — sometimes, times a day.
Helping Elena, who currently weighs about 130 pounds, has become easier, her mother said. “I can lift Elena up and put her in the shower, the bath tub, the car,” Julie said.
Mother and daughter have also found a community through Alpha. Members of the group were invited to Elena’s 15th birthday party April 24.
“They showed up with bells on to celebrate her,” Julie said.
Julie said the gym has done more than make her stronger physically. It’s gifted her with mental and emotional strength, as well.
“It became an addiction and a passion — and so much more,” she said. “And Elena saw that. … She wanted to be a part of it.”
Six weeks ago, Elena surprised her mother with newfound physical ability. Julie was about to hoist Elena into the car, when something unexpected occurred.
“I turned around and she was already in the front seat,” Julie said. “She’s getting the same strength and confidence that I did. She works out for independence, and I’m seeing the results. She’s doing more for herself.”
Advice for moms
When other women ask Julie what’s her secret, it’s an opportunity to respond Julie can’t pass up.
“Just give yourself an hour,” is her advice to other mothers. “And for the rest of the hours of your day, that time you give to your family, you’ll do so much better. The best thing you can do is show up for yourself.”
Being stronger, both mentally and physically, prepares moms to face whatever the future might have in store. “You never know what the day is going to bring, and some days can be very challenging,” Julie said.
When she and Elena train together, she feels like part of a more capable team.
Because of the workouts, both she and Elena believe more in themselves, in their abilities. And that’s something that eluded Julie years ago.
When Elena was 3 years old, Julie sank into a deep depression. She felt helpless until she eventually saw a psychiatrist.
“I finally invested in me — and then I was able to be there for Elena,” Julie said. “I tell others, ‘This is who I was. So invest in yourself. Believe in yourself.’ ”
She also suggests that moms dig deeper than working out with the goal of looking a certain way.
“You have to find your purpose and find your ‘why.’ Mine was Elena,” she said.
The rest will fall into place, she said.
“I’m strong, and I can lift Elena. And I’m mentally healthy. I can show up for her. I’m 40 now and the healthiest I’ve ever been — mind and body. I’m thankful.”
Julie recently became a certified trainer and nutritional therapist. She even began competing in weight-lifting challenges at Life Time. Most importantly, she said she wants to continue to serve as a role model for her daughter.
“Elena will tell me, ‘I just want to be strong like you,’ ” Julie said. “That makes it all worth it. Because she’s the strongest. She’s had to endure the most.”