Teen home for the New Year after long battle with encephalitis
Teen home for the New Year after long battle with encephalitis
FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson shares the story.
PHILADELPHIA - A Frankford family got the best gift of the new year. A 14-year-old Philadelphia girl is finally home after a long battle with encephalitis.
"I cried when they told me she was finally coming home," said Barbara Miller.
She’s grateful for the best Christmas gift and start to the New Year she could have ever hoped for.
"We came home on New Year’s Eve after seven long weeks from the hospital to the rehab and it’s great to be home," she said. Her 14-year-old daughter Amani has made a nearly full recovery from encephalitis. It’s an inflammation of the brain that hospitalized her from early November until last week.
"Amazing because at one point we were told she might not come home. So best Christmas gift ever," said Barbara.
FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson first told you last month about Amani’s potentially deadly health scare that began in early November. She became seriously ill. She was treated but remained asleep for days before waking up.
Eventually, she was transferred from St. Chris to Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Center.
"She had to learn how to eat, walk, talk and she pretty much fought her little butt off and got home to us," said Barbara.
Amani has back her sense of humor and her appetite.
She recalls her first meals at home.
"Onion dip and potato chips, pizza, mac n’ cheese and ground beef," said Amani. They also had a late Thanksgiving since she missed that and Christmas. But the best part she says was seeing her grandfather in person. It’s captured in a cellphone video of her surprising him at home.
"I missed him. I had to wave to him through a window. So it was kind of like weird," she said. Barbara says just as important as getting her daughter back is making sure people know about the illness that could have taken her child's life or changed it forever.
"If I can help another family get through what I’ve been through I feel like I’ve done a good job," she said.
Barbara is a 911 dispatcher for the Philadelphia Police Department. She credits great family and friends for helping her through this. She remains out of work on unpaid leave until maybe some time next month.
Meanwhile, Amani is now in outpatient physical therapy to continue learning to walk again.
Barbara is out of work on unpaid leave to care for her daughter. If you wish to help, she can be found on Cash App at $brighteyes817.
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Philly Police Dept dispatcher spreads encephalitis awareness as daughter battles disease in ICU
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