We can’t think of a finer role model than this preschool teacher, who recognized a child’s developmental oddity and helped him receive early treatment for a serious and uncommon condition. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.
Although each kid develops differently, there are particular developmental milestones that, if missed or postponed, may indicate a more serious medical problem.
For a little child named Hudson, this was precisely the situation. His parents view his preschool teacher as a blessing since she recognized an early indication that Hudson might have a rare muscle illness.
He was not running as quickly as the other kids in the class, and the teacher in Arizona saw that he was using a technique known as the Gower’s maneuver to pull himself off the ground.
This technique involves using one’s arms to walk from a seated to a standing posture.
She realized that kind of movement wasn’t typical based on her experience with other pupils Hudson’s age (3–4 years old at the time), so she called Hudson’s parents aside to share her modest observation and suggest that they have him examined by a specialist.
“Hudson would walk up to the classroom with a very large–gated, slow walk holding his mom’s or grandma’s hand for help,” the Tucson-area teacher Twyla Pobuda remembered.
“When getting up from the floor, sitting, or playing on the grass, he would have to get on all fours and push himself up with both of his hands, sometimes struggling to rotate his hips to a comfortable position to get up. Running was also hard for him to coordinate his muscle strength.”
“I decided that I needed to ask his mom if she had noticed any of these motor skill struggles at home. Little did we know or expect the diagnosis that was finally to come.”
The frightening diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting condition that impairs a child’s ability to walk by the time they are middle school age, came after a visit to a neurologist and more testing.
“Mrs. Twyla is such a blessing to our family,” Hudson’s mom stated. “Without her I truly believe Hudson would have gone undiagnosed for a while and we would not have been able to receive early interventions.”
“We are forever grateful for her courage and her knowledge of preschoolers.”
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Since Duchenne is a degenerative condition that causes daily muscle loss, receiving that early diagnosis was crucial. Because of Twyla’s keen observation, the boy was able to undergo Elevidys, the first and only FDA-approved gene therapy for Duchenne, in 2023, making him one of the first kids in the nation. This gave the family optimism for Hudson’s future.
“I truly believe that Mrs. Twyla was brought into our life for a specific reason, and she has changed the trajectory of Hudson’s life.”
“Since we found out when Hudson was still fairly young, we were able to provide early intervention which is key to treating Duchenne… and he would not be doing as good as he is today.”
“Almost 4 years later, Hudson is able to enjoy his childhood, all because one teacher cared enough to make a difference.”
The family had initially told their pediatrician about similar findings, but he seemed unconcerned. They recognized something was wrong when Mrs. Twyla approached them; she now views the outcome as somewhat of a miracle.
“I was relieved to have an answer,” she stated. “There surely was more to the plan for Hudson’s life and that was nothing but a miracle!”
“It takes one voice of concern to make a difference and each child deserves that.”
