A Teenager with Half a Brain (Life After a Hemispherectomy) 

She was advocating for herself greatly

She's very inquisitive. Nothing gets past her! Mr. Chris got interviewed!

I loved how she would stop him when he talked too fast or said too many things at once, and ask him to say it again. That will help her so much.

Very me

Great point!!! This is my impression of her too! If she gave me permission to be her friend, I would be honored 😊

Yes..our own brain can sometimes be our worst enemy..

Same, I'm 15 and sometimes my brain and I will argue.

@Sarcastic Fox I hope that you are getting help. When I was your age there was no help. And it was terrible. It wasn’t until I was in college that my uncle sent me to a psychiatrist.

@@JoshiTheKitsune I understand that! I hope that you are getting help. Blessings to you

Yap, me for example! I was listening the answer very carefully, thinking I might actually get good tips myself with my anciety. 😱🙊😊

“Affir-who?!” She cracks me up

Yes I chuckle 😅her and her sarcasm

I loved that!

Yeah, that was so adorable. She is truly amazing!

same

The fact she has a brain split in half and capable of this is still mind boggling to me

The brain is remarkable. I had a massive stoke and had to learn everything again. I learned by repetition, repetition, repetition. She is young. She will succeed!

Absolutely. Her future is very bright.

@@2xkonan it's not just split, its no longer connected, and most of the diseased hemisphere was removed. This is different to corpus callosotomy, where the brain is split through the corpus callosum, but both hemispheres are still functional and providing brain function.

The brain is just sooo so amazing.

Pin this comment !

Wonderful suggestion!

Yes! And they're not expensive at all!

@@Metaphoreign I had no idea , that’s great !

pin the comment

I feel bad that she lost all previous memories. I couldn't imagine. She seems so happy.

@@isaiahblue7269 It sounds like her life before the surgery was very difficult.

as someone with high functioning autism I def felt that in my soul like I go in a bar I cant handle it I broke down crying one time cause this bartender made fun of me I dont mean to Trauma Dump on anybody but my Aunt didnt realize how fragile I was I feel better like Sleeping with Cats and taking care of them and feeding them then mean people Shes cool that she has a cool family that supports her I just hope that she gets the right support and everything I dont even know how to take care of myself sometimes so I can imagine the challenges ahead of her

Why do you not thank the Lord for letting her have seizures and needing to have half her brain removed? That's not very loving

@@Im_Rainrotyou need to step back and think to yourself what the purpose of saying that is. What do you want to accomplish with that?

@@kaidevaleria2531 to question faith, as all should

@@kaidevaleria2531 To question faith.

@@Im_Rainrotnot everyone worships. It’s okay. We can live fulfilling and good-intentioned lives without worship.

Much love to you and your daughter! Mikisa would love to make some online friends who are similar to her. Let me know if you're interested in having them connect. One of the parts of the interview that wasn't shown was that she was grilling Chris on how to find "community." She doesn't have many friends outside of school.

Just reactivating this thread! I hope you saw the lovely comment from Mikisa's mother regarding potentially connecting your daughters as friends!

I hope you guys got in contact :)

@@christinafeltenTHIS IS AMAZING!!!

Cuéntenos más por favor!!! Estos casos aportan algo valioso del conocimiento del cerebro 🙏🙏

I hope you're doing great now!

How old were you when you had part of your brain removed?? What kind of challenges did this create for you?? To me, it sounds scary as hell but I have seen enough seizures happen to understand why someone would make a choice to have such a surgery. I am sorry you had to go through that but if it cured a medical issue for you, I am glad you don't have to suffer with the issue anymore.

No they've actually invented a chip that can be implanted in the brain that regulates brain activity, halting seizures or lessening the frequency/severity. A girl got it done on Netflix's "Diagnosis." I'm sure not everyone is a candidate for it tho

They don't call it a disability, but it is. It affects your life in so many ways. Thankfully I'm on the other side. Last year I finally got clearance to get my learners permit. I feel like my life is just starting in my 40s. I'm finally getting my independence.

@@naturegirl2110 it really is. Even though mine has been controlled for many years, people don't realise the emotional toll it can take, knowing that you have to always be cautious to avoid triggers, I can't just relax and let loose at a college party like my friends because i have to be aware. The anxiety that one gets going to a neuro and having your meds upped because they saw some abnormalities in your EEG. It's also embarrassing because of the stigma attached. I hardly tell anyone unless I NEED to

and she still got that sass lol

agreed so much, he's very good at shifting between seriousness and excitement too, he'll completely listen to them when it's a more serious question/conversation.

Right

no offense to her but she reminds me of a kindly old woman

What a wonderful conversation between them- great questions and great responses, from both!

ugh so proud of her 💜

She is a sweet child but cognitively disabled. I hope she has a happy life ahead but don’t see from where you got the „such a bright future“ part.

@@Celisar1You should probably commence reading some neurology, and specifically about the relevant medical case. Otherwise, you’ll never understand what we mean.

@@StrikesPerception you're too gentle. more like.....@celisar go grab a dictionary, look up every word in its respective usage in relation to the OP's statement " You have such a bright future ahead of you," agree that the OP's statement is pristinely factual, and then apologize for making yourself sound like an utter and abysmal failure of a youtube commenter.

One day you will be smart enough to still go to university. God has miracles

Isn't that the absolute truth! A lot of people could learn from this awesome girl 👏

😊

mine too! ❤️

😢😢 Yes ........ There's a genius in there , fight , determination

That's awesome. Would work for all types of disabilities.

I'm hoping we get a follow up on her. She's so sweet, polite and interested in what people have to tell her and I would love to see some of her art too.

Blatantly asking for practical suggestions is something I want to make my brain do more often!

YES.....I was laughing because she started interviewing Chris and keeping him on his toes with those questions. He couldn't by pass anything too fast before she asked, what that means or give me some suggestions Mr. Chris. I LOVE IT 😍. She's functioning fine. Out of all these many interviews he's done, I never saw him being interviewed by a possible journalist.

@@tennishoe49 Each time she called him Mr. Chris, I was touched. Thanks Mom and Dad.

That’s a great idea!

simple and effective, great idea

An awesome suggestion!

was just thinking this! great suggestion

100 percent agree. His ability to make everyone feel comfortable is unmatched. Chris might be the kindest person to ever exist.

Yikes! There are curious, well-meaning questions, and then there's...that kind of question. Wish I could've been a fly on the wall to witness the reaction of your empathetic class! Hope that kid learned a lesson without being too traumatized himself lol

Sorry but I burst out laughing at this comment it just sounds like awkward

It's not a crazy question for a kid who thinks abnormally. Maybe his parents point out his flaws.

I love that kids are becoming more aware and sensitive now adays. I think it's actually pretty cool that the class roasted the guy trying to clown on a disabled kid rather than laughing along with him. Good on em.

Yes! And she keeps asking for clarification when he says something she doesn't understand or when he doesn't answer what she was trying to ask.

My son struggled with completing multi step instruction, including almost all ADLs. Within 6 months, his positive progression into independence was insanely miraculous. Does it mean he can perfectly complete all ADLs without assistance or direction, no. But, I no longer have to wash his face, brush his teeth/hair, get him dressed and get his shoes on every single day.

When I was five years old, my uncle Lester had a stroke. This would have been in 1970. His occupational therapist had him make jewelry. The stroke affected his right side so it was a struggle. But he was amazing! He would buy slabs of semi precious stones and cut them and set them. I still have pieces of jewelry that he made. I was so proud of him.

As a practicing ot provider out in the world I would suggest the same thing, not just in the school setting, especially since self care is so important to her

Same! 😄

Me too! 🤗

🍯🍯🍯💁🏼

Agreed, you could see her reluctance to call herself smart or strong, she wasn't happy until she found one that she agreed already described her. My aunt has an intellectual disability and she hates when people call her smart, which breaks my heart. It's clear she has an internal monologue, we will just never get to know what it's saying.

@@margaritakmp right!! The fact that the one she wanted to use was “I’m helpful” gave me some insight into the fact that she feels like her worth is tied to how much she can do for others. I hope she’s able to see how important she is regardless of how helpful she is to others. I hope the same for your aunt ☹️

@@margaritakmp I can sort of understand why someone with an intellectual disability might be uncomfortable being called smart. I guess it might feel like when people say that to you, they're implying that being smart is very important and one of the best things and that it would be very bad not to be smart? And you know that you have an intellectual disability so aren't necessarily 'smart' in the most common definition of the word. Maybe they need to have a discussion about different things people mean when they say smart?

@@shilohsmischief Being helpful is a great thing to be though! She should be proud of being helpful :). As well as many other things, not just that, but it is a good thing to be.

@@junbh2 I agree that being helpful is valuable! I also think that everyone deserves to have an identity that’s separate from what they can do for others

Wow, what a wonderful suggestions. This community is so helpful.

Yes this is a great idea plus the suggestions for automatic toothpaste dispensing devices.

I also quickly discovered that automatic toothpaste dispensers were a thing when I was thinking about how there are automatic soap dispensers, but I can see a real benefit in learning to stick the paste in her mouth first because she can do that anywhere like a friend’s house or a hotel and not worry that she forgot the dispenser at home or whatever. Sometimes simple is better.

Mouth swabs. They have paste in them. You wet, brush, rinse brush, then dip into mouthwash.

Great suggestions! There's also toothpaste dispensers that put the right amt on the brush for u

Exactly how I feel too ❤

Haaahaa, that was exactly what I was thinking. She is giving Chris a run for his money, it’s keeping him on his toes. Great interview !

I'm a direct support professional. This channel really inspired me to get into this kind of work. I just wanted to say, You said it sister!!! I love learning about all these people and what I can do better to help people who need it.

This sounds like something I’d love to do! ❤❤❤❤

@@pollypocket7125 look up direct support professional jobs in your area!! We are desperately in need all over the country.

@@MermaidMakes This sounds like a great job for my daughter. I’ll have to look into this

@@shalacarter5798 please please do. We are desperately needing good people all around the world. I don't know if it has a different name overseas but in US and Canada the title is Direct Support Professional or Community Support Professional. My organization is not for profit and our wages are paid through my states Medicaid. I think most are not for profit, I don't know if I'd trust a private "caretaking" company just because they'd be doing it for the money, and some of the coworkers and supervisors might not be so wonderful (we had to have an emergency staff meeting about code of ethics and conduct recently because a person from a private company further up north was investigated and charged for serious neglect of a client). Since we are government paid we have to follow codes and guidelines. We get certified in CPR, medicine administration, and basic emergency medical response.

Wow! 🙏

Autism, etc. ADHD is not a death sentence. I love to hear that do you know a lot of people have undiagnosed ADHD autism etc.

That's a great idea!

It was so heart warming, she is such a curious and wonderful soul, and I agree, she will go far, also though because she has a spirit for learning and a wonder for the world.

It's even more incredible when you realise that she spent the first 9 years of her life constantly having seizures day and night. It would have been very hard for her to learn in those 9 years.

Lol, what a blessing from God to leave a child with half of her brain. Brilliant. Do you, believers, ever hear yourself?

Autoimmune encephalitis sounds horrible.. wish you all the best

Sending you best wishes as well!

@@bepowerification thanks, I've had it for about a year now, and now I have 4 autoimmune inflammatory conditions. I've had Crohn's for about 10 years and this one for the past year. Had 6 hospitalizations for seizures in that time. Thankfully been out since September.

@@Laura-kl7vi thank you, I'm staying strong and doing my best, my family is really helpful.

And I'm only 25

The crazy thing about the human brain is it will sort of fill in the blanks over time without even an entire hemisphere. Undoubtedly, the remaining half has adapted and is able to achieve some of the things the missing hemisphere was responsible for.

The parents did a wonderful job.

Yes. I taught in a self contained class and we literally had to break down every step for example to even going to the bathroom.

Occupational therapis are ones who work on daily tasks. They have knowledge about tools and aids what one need if only one arm is functional.

@@laululla yes, but that method is also used in the residential setting - generally using programs and adaptive methods rather than too many tools or adaptive equipment. If equipment made the tasks easier and gave much better quality of life, then of course they're used --- but generally, we started with behavior modification and breaking down tasks in order for them to become familiar and easier to perform.

Normal is a wonderful word to use! You said it perfectly! Your English is fantastic!

Phenomenal English, my friend