Home Runs for Life: Katie Moore
It’s nearly impossible to miss Katie Moore when she enters a room. First, you notice her 1,000-watt smile and then her bright pink crutches.
The 13-year-old from Davenport was born with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy, a subtype of spastic cerebral palsy in which the legs are the most affected limbs. People with spastic diplegia often have a “scissor walk,” characterized by the knees turning inward/crossing. This is due to tightness in the hip and leg muscles.
Katie has been working with Genesis Pediatric Therapy (GoPeds) therapists in Bettendorf since she was about 12 months old.
“When we first started coming to GoPeds, she couldn't even get up on her hands and knees. She cried so much when they tried to make her get up on her hands and knees,” said Katie’s Mom, Jen Moore. “Kim, her physical therapist, said, ‘You just have to let her work through it.’”
Katie has come a long way in the last 12 years. To get where she is today and able to round the bases at Modern Woodmen Park as the Genesis Homeruns for Life honoree, she has endured several major surgeries and countless hours of rehabilitation in addition to her weekly therapy sessions.
That little girl who cried now thrives and works hard every day to be able to walk on her own. Katie now speeds through life on her crutches, dances with her friends, and plays Challenger Baseball.
“She's gone from being unable to get up on her own to using a walker, and now she uses crutches. Sometimes, she can even walk across the room, from the counter to the table or a chair. And that’s huge,” said Jen.
“Katie has worked so hard, and we continue to work on getting her stronger. We work on her standing and balance, walking, and getting up off the floor by herself. She is at the age where her goal is to keep up with her peers, so everything we do is to help support that goal,” said Kim Nielsen, Genesis pediatric physical therapist.
“It's awesome to see her become more independent and do more for herself. There were times when she'd have some big surgeries, and she’d move backward, and we'd have to start over. And I know it was hard for her, but she's really worked hard. We always tell her she's the only one who can do it. We can't do it for her. She's just a determined kid,” added her mom.
After each of her two major leg surgeries, Katie spent seven weeks in casts and leg immobilizers before she could start rehab. Each time, she had to relearn how to move all over again, starting with trying to get up on her hands and knees, only there was no crying this time. Afterward, she spent months in physical therapy, four days a week, working to get where she is today.
Katie’s parents credit Genesis GoPeds for being the catalyst to their daughter’s journey towards independence.
“Without Genesis GoPeds, I don't think Katie would be where she is today,” said Jen.
Where Katie is today is not just about being able to walk. As she has gotten older, the entire Moore family has been emboldened to seek new challenges for Katie. “We've been encouraged to check out things we've gotten to know about simply because we're part of the Genesis GoPeds environment,” said Jen.
“Life without Genesis GoPeds would really limit the opportunities that Katie and our family have. Growing your network by finding other families that may or may not have similar situations as Katie’s really helps us understand that there's more the world offers for kids like Katie. Having the folks here at GoPeds who love on her and help her warms our hearts,” said Scott Moore, Katie’s dad.
Being a Genesis Homeruns for Life honoree is especially meaningful for the Moore family.
“Baseball is a big thing in our family. So, being able to go around the bases and having Katie do that with us as a family is an overwhelming feeling. It makes us proud of her and really proud of how far she's come,” said her mom.
