Hydrocephalus, Shunts, and
Advocating for Your Child’s Medical Care
Hydrocephalus
To the left is an actual document that was given to us while Abigail was in the NICU at Children’s Hospital Omaha that is very informative and that I kept on my refrigerator at home.
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts
As thankful as we are for medical tools such as shunts, there are always risks and complications to be aware of. Any foreign object in the human body can cause infection or malfunction so know what signs to look for, as well as when to involve a doctor.
Below are documents that were given to our family by Abigail’s physicians.
To learn more about how Neurosurgeons place VP shunts, click on the Johns Hopkins link.
This is a great visual to keep in your child’s school binder if he or she has a shunt.
“Parents! I encourage you to trust your intuition and to always speak to your child’s medical team if you feel that something is off with their health.”
Advocating for your child’s medical care
The most important thing that we as parents of children with disabilities of any kind can do is to be their strongest advocate(s).
Take the time to learn what that means and how to be their strongest advocate in a process that can be very overwhelming, challenging, and emotional. My intention is to help alleviate some of the stress that this can place on the family by providing resources that have helped me as Abigail’s parent and advocate for the past 22 years. I will continue to update this section and if there is any feedback you would like to provide, please do not hesitate to email me. I’m happy to help and appreciate hearing from you.
