“Mummy, I can walk!”
Her parents mortgaged their home to pay for a $120,000 medical miracle to save Isabella from a life of pain
Like most six-year-olds, giggly Isabella Lombardo loves unicorns, fairies and playing with friends, but until recently she was forced to watch the games from her wheelchair.
“Until we found out about a surgery only available in the US, Isabella was never going to walk,” says devoted mum Libby, who says Isabella was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), severely affecting all four limbs when she was two. “She was in so much pain. Every three months, we’d go to Sydney Children’s Hospital for 26-30 Botox injections to help her movement,” says Libby.
Libby, who also has two-year-old son Joey, was in the waiting room one day when another mum mentioned a surgery that could potentially help kids with CP. “But our doctor wouldn’t recommend the surgery for Isabella because of the risks,” she says.
Undeterred, Libby looked into selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), a spinal surgery, which involves severing the damaged nerves that cause muscles to lock. The expensive procedure – the Lombardos had to mortgage their home to pay for the operation – isn’t available in Australia because if the wrong nerves are severed more damage may result.
“I’ll never forget that incredible moment,” she says, recalling when she found out Isabella was eligible for the operation and that US doctors felt she had the potential to walk.
“For the first time, someone was giving us hope for our little girl.”
Libby admits she thought she may faint when she kissed Isabella before she went into surgery on December, 28, 2016. The five-hour procedure, performed by Dr T S Park at St Louis Children’s Hospital, involved severing three-quarters of her spinal nerves.
“It was terrifying,” says Libby. “[But] you could see straight away that it had been a success. Her legs were straighter and her muscle tension was gone. It was like she’d been given a new body. The relief was indescribable.”
Eighteen months on, Isabella, who’s a popular kindy student at a mainstream school, can use her walker and walk with sticks. One day, with ongoing treatment, Isabella may even be able to walk independently. “That’s the goal,” says Libby.
Visit isabellalombardo.com.au to donate and help with Isabella’s treatment.
‘For the first time, someone was giving us hope for our little girl’