Born prematurely on Mother’s Day in 2003, Sutton contracted Group B streptococcal meningitis at 2 months old and spent 7.5 weeks as an inpatient at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. A month after being discharged, doctors diagnosed Sutton with cerebral palsy, a complication of the brain bleeds and strokes caused by the meningitis. After returning home, Sutton continued to be followed by doctors at the Children’s Center.

While undergoing a routine CT scan a few months later, on the day before Thanksgiving, doctors discovered excess fluid surrounding Sutton’s brain and diagnosed her condition as the worst case of hydrocephalus they’d ever seen. On Thanksgiving, Sutton underwent a surgery to have a shunt inserted in her brain to relieve the pressure. Over the next few months, Sutton needed additional procedures to replace the shunt and monitor her condition.

A few months later, during one of Sutton’s naps, Sutton’s mom, Ali, noticed an alarming twitch and immediately brought her daughter to the Emergency Department at the Children’s Center. Within hours, doctors diagnosed Sutton with infantile spasms, an unexpected diagnosis with potentially devastating repercussions, including severe mental retardation. Doctors recommended that Sutton be placed on a ketogenic diet to lessen her chance of seizures. Within a week and a half, Sutton’s seizures disappeared. She remained on the special diet for 6 months to ensure its success.

“Sutton is still seizure free—knock on wood—and she is such a gift,” says Ali. “We wouldn’t change a thing about her. “We are so thankful to have Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in our backyard to take care of our perfect daughter.”

Today, Sutton is a healthy 13-year-old girl who excels in her classes and attends school dances with the rest of her peers. She loves to read and hopes to go to college. 

Listen to Sutton’s story.