Our Heroes

Inspiring the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation Daily!

When one thinks of a hero, one often envisions a figure, such as the man of steel (superman) swooping down save to the day from the destruction of an evil villain, or the image of a police officer or fire fighter protecting citizens from harm, despite the danger they must encounter.

Not often does one associate the word “Hero” with a child who has yet to experience many of the circumstances one encounters through the journey of life. When we at the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation think of a “Hero”, not only do we consider a figure protecting one from the evils he/she may encounter, we envision a figure who inspires one, and others, to believe, hope, and persevere, even though the outlook appears bleak.

Victims, survivors, and the families of pediatric strokes are our heroes, for it is they who have experienced and overcome the unimaginable, yet remain steadfast in their quest.

Please view and share the stories of our heroes, and help us raise awareness regarding pediatric strokes.

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles"

Ayanna Bradford, a spunky 5 year old full of life and energy, experienced the unfortunate event of a right sided ischemic stroke on June 2, 2011, the day of her Pre-K graduation. She was rushed to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, where she received treatment for over 6 months. Ayanna Noelani Emiko (ANE) Bradford was the inspiration for the formaton of the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation, and she continues to make progress daily. She now spends her days surrounded by the love of her families and friends, while attending her weekly therapy sessions to aid with her recovery. Ayanna has definitely overcome many challenges at the young age of 5, much like all our little heros; however, she the rest of them keep pushing through and breaking down the barriers before them. Read More…..

Ryne Alexander is a 6 year old hero born on the 22^nd day of October 2005. 5 months following the birth of Ryne, his parents began to notice questionable functioning, which resulted in the child’s physician ordering a CT Scan that revealed the young Ryne Alexander had a stroke on the left side of his brain, a “word we never dreamt we would hear”, as described by his mother. Almost 7 years later, little Ryne Alexander is still undergoing physical and occupational therapy sessions, as he continues along the path to living a long enjoyable life. Read More…..

Brendon Spear, the beautiful son of Jessica and Stephen Spear, suffered an In Utero stroke, and was officially diagnosed at the young age of 19 months. "As a result of the stroke he has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Right Hemiparesis, Muscular Scoliosis, Speech Apraxia and Aphasia". These days Brendon continues along the path of continuous improvement, while attending therapy sessions, and in the company of his loving family. "Brendon has a gorgeous smile and spirit that you can see by looking into his eyes. Through all of his frustration he manages to keep on smiling. Ask any one who knows him…he lights up a room. His spirit keeps us going"! Read More…..

5 year old Alex Ward, experienced a stroke well before he was born; and consequently had several physical obstacles to overcome before his first birthday. Today he spends his time surrounded by his family (Cory, Jennifer, Hayden, and Hayley) who loves him dearly, and who is the driving force behind the amazing progress he has made through the first 5 years of his life. Alex continues to undergo various procedures; in addtion to attending therapy sessions on a regular basis, in an effort to ensure his full potential is achieved. Read More…..

Maxwell, a young hero who has yet to reach the age of a year, experienced a massive stroke on the left side of his brain at the innocent age of 10 weeks, 2 days. The stroke young Maxwell endured was believed to be caused by severe thrombocytopenia (relative decrease of platelets in blood), which left him and his family hospitalized for 5 weeks in the neuroscience ward of a children’s hospital. Maxwell and his family were finally on their way home, a week before he reached the age of 4 months. Today, Maxwell continues to experience right arm paralysis; however, with his continued physical therapy sessions, Matthew is definitely on his way to a full recovery. Read More…..

Elijah is a hero of the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation who experienced an In Utero stroke, which was officially confirmed at the age of 20 months, following an MRI. Today, Elijah is 8 years old and undergoing occupational, speech, and physical therapy on a regular basis, in an effort to overcome the challenges he was born into; and with his continued determinism, along with the love and support of his family, Elijah will certainly achieve a high level of accomplishment. Read More…..

Little Ms. Daisy Pritchard suffered a stroke following surgery performed to resolve a life threatening heart defect she was diagnosed with at 20 months old. Her stroke went mis-diagnosed for several days, and consequently she suffered extensive brain damage. These days, Daisy continues to have limited movement on her right side, but she works hard daily, with the support of her family and friends, towards a great recovery and a life filled with unlimited joy. Read More…..

Adam Smith is the loving son of Steve and Regina Smith., and an apparent lover of the game of football. On October 12, 2010 Adam experienced the unfortunate event of a stroke during a typical day of football practice. Adam and his family have since returned home, and he continues to make progress towards his ultimate recovery. Adam Smith is just one hero among the many, who we have the privilege of presenting on this page, and also amongst the many who have yet to touch our lives the way Adam Smith and these other great heroes have. Read More…..

Kenley Martin is the beautiful daughter of Sarah Martin, and one of the many heroes of the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation. On May 29, 2011, Kenley fell 5 feet at a playground, which resulted in a fractured her skull, a brain bleed, and ultimately a stroke, which was discovered 5 days after her accident. Little Kenley and her family resided in the hospital a total of 54 days following the discovery, and since her release, Kenley continues to push forward towards recovery, despite the obstacles before her. Read More…..

Annie Lonty Siaiga, a beautiful 8 year old from the American Samoa and the niece of Mrs. Rosa Matautia and Mr. Malo Fegauiai, is a current resident of Fort Worth, Texas. Little Annie Lonty was admitted to Cook Children's Hospital on April 28, 2012 for open heart surgery, which proceeded on May 1, 2012. Annie was discharged from the hospital a week following her open heart procedure; and as if little Annie Lonty and her family had not already experienced enough turmoil, following an hour of being home, surrounded by the company of her family and friends, this innocent child collapsed and was quickly returned to Cook Children's Hospital, where it was later determined she suffered a massive ischemic stroke on the left side of her brain. Since this unfortunate chain of circumstances, Annie Lonty Siaigia has returned home to her loving family, where she continues to recover from right-sided deficits, speech challenges, and memory loss. However, with the love and support surrounding her, little Annie will certainly overcome the obstacles she is currently facing, and continue to relish every minute of every day of the long life ahead.

Sarah Beddingfield is the 15 year old loving daughter of Kristine and Billy Beddingfield. At the age of 14, Sarah suffered a major stroke on the left side of her brain, which left her with many challenges to overcome; however, thanks to the love and faith possessed by this beautiful child and family, no obstacle presented shall be too large for them to conquer. Currently, Sarah attends various forms of therapy weekly, and these progressive activities, along with her strength and determination will definitely improve the outlook of her recovery. Read More…..

Isabella Cheree Paquette experienced an illness of unknown origin, which resulted in a stroke that ascended this beautiful child to Heaven on September 17, 2011, at the innocent age of 3 years. Despite this most unfortunate loss, Bella’s spirit inspired her loving mother (Janelle Villarreal Paquette) to form the Bellaflies Foundation, and she continues to be a daily inspiration for the work of the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation. We Love You Bella!

Evan Sauer, the child of Mr. and Mrs. Sauer, experienced an in utero stroke during the month of September 2010. This is one story among many where a child has suffered a stroke, and persevered, along with his/her family, through the challanges this event presents. Mrs. Sauer gratefully expresses: "Thankfully, I am pleased to report that Evan is currently a happy, socially and emotionally well-adjusted toddler with very minor developmental delays. We have not noticed any seizures since bringing him home. He is regularly seeing a handful of medical professionals: his pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, rehabilitative medicine specialist, and host of therapists". "While he does exhibit right-side motor limitations, he is doing much better than we ever expected or imagined given what little information we had to work with. I am no longer having panic attacks about Evan's condition. For now, life is good! We plan to keep it that way by "not writing his story for him," as my mother once said, but rather by presenting him with every opportunity to flourish and grow into a healthy child". Read More…..

Ryland Michael Cooper is six years old and suffered a major stroke back on May 8, 2007. Ryland was 18 months old when his childhood was changed forever. Ryland was a normal healthy child who never got sick or had any medical issues prior to his stroke. Ryland was home sleeping the day of his stroke and when I arrived home from work I noticed that my little boy was not awake waiting to greet me like usual. Eager to see my little boy I woke him up and noticed that there was something very different about him. Read More…..

OUR UNSPOKEN HEROES

This picture represents the unspoken heroes of the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation. All the children around the world who have been affected by a pediatric stroke, and have either ascended to the spiritual world or remain here among us, this is for you; and remember, no challenge is too large to overcome, and you shall always be an inspiration to the ANE Pediatric Stroke Foundation.