All She Can Do

Since uniting with her family, Devki Horine — who has cerebral palsy — has amazed them with all she can do.  

Devki fits so naturally in the Horine family. But a lot of thought, prayer and preparation went into the Horines’ decision to be open to a child with cerebral palsy.

Once the Horines were matched with Devki, they dove into learning more about cerebral palsy. They learned that it’s not a neurological condition, and that with a commitment to physical therapy, kids with cerebral palsy can grow strong and work through many obstacles.

Devki’s cerebral palsy mostly affects her left side, and the muscle stiffness is felt especially in her ankles and feet — which, for an energetic 5-year-old, means falling down a lot. But her development has been amazing since she’s joined the Horine family.

“She has gone from literally 10 to 20 falls a day down to maybe half a dozen — just little trips now,” her mom Terry says.

Through physical therapy, Devki’s coordination, balance and strength have gotten better and better. While her special need has caused the Horines to make small changes here and there, they say it’s been minimal.

“Now she bounces off the floor all day long — she gets up and dances around.”

Drew, Devi’s dad

“At first [when she would fall down], you’d want to help her every time,” her dad Drew says. “But if we don’t make a big deal out of it, she doesn’t. Now she bounces off the floor all day long — she gets up and dances around.”

One thing that’s clear is that Devi’s cerebral palsy won’t hold her back. She’s learned that when she falls down, she’s strong enough to get back up on her feet again.

This is an excerpt from a longer story. Read the full story here.