By Nadine Dunning and Nancy Hunt
Many years ago, Margaret began working in a classroom with children with a variety of special needs. Many of these children had complex medical issues. Working alongside therapists and other specialists, she became very interested in all the information she was exposed to and was eager to learn skills which would benefit these children.
Margaret learned quickly and was very conscientious in her implementation of the techniques the occupational therapist taught her. As the young mom of a child with special needs herself, Margaret began to discover a passion in working with these children. One child in particular was experiencing difficulty learning to sit and stand. Day after day, she worked with him to stretch his hamstring muscles. The child’s family had an appointment with an orthopedic doctor at Carrie Tingley Hospital, which at that time was in Truth or Consequences, NM, 150 miles away. Margaret worked closely with this family, so when the time came to make the trip, they asked her to accompany them and she agreed.
After examining the child, the doctor diagnosed shortened hamstrings which would require surgery. Margaret, with a quiet confidence in her knowledge of this child, explained to the doctor that in a sitting position the child had limited trunk control. It was this lack of trunk control, and not shortened hamstrings, that was affecting his ability to sit upright. She showed the doctor the improved range of motion in his hamstrings, as a result of the stretching exercises they had been doing. The doctor took all of this information into consideration and changed his diagnosis based on Margaret’s knowledge of this child, saving him from unnecessary surgery!
