Published: April 16, 2007 03:38 pm         

Third grader gets paralyzing disease

Toward the end of the night on Valentine’s Day, Rachael Garrett woke up with a stomach ache, and later her legs started to spasm and become numb.

Within four hours, she was completely paralyzed from the diaphragm down.

Rachael, a third grader at Bowie Elementary School, has transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder that causes swelling in the spinal cord membrane. An estimated 1,400 people get this disease in a year

Rachael, who was paralyzed for a few days, is now back at school, and with the help of a walker, she’s able to get around by herself. For long distances, she uses a wheelchair, and she goes to rehab twice a week.

“She can walk with me, but she has to hold on to me,” her mother Sheryl Holland, said. “So far, she’s doing good, but she has about 20 percent more of rehab to get her back to full recovery.”

Holland describes her daughter as a typical third-grader who likes to hang out with her friends and have slumber parties.

“She’s a wonderful little girl, kind, loving and smart,” Holland said. “She likes music, going to the movies, and she can talk to anybody,”

“She also likes sports and got to play in one soccer game before she got sick. She likes roller balding and riding scooters, but, of course, she can’t play sports right now, so we’re trying to keep her in better spirits.”

To help offset the medical bills that the family has incurred, a benefit for Rachael is scheduled at Appplebee’s on Tuesday. Anyone bringing in a flier about Rachael and dines at Applebee’s, 10 percent of the bill will go toward her medical needs. Fliers are available at Bowie Elementary School, Jenkins Garage, and Holland’s employer, Carrie’s Cut. A donation account has also been set up in Rachael’s name at Chase Bank.

“I think she’ll be able to walk completely,” Holland said. “She’s still progressing and getting better every day. Because it’s such a rare disorder, they don’t know the outcome of it. We just have to wait and see, and we’re taking it day by day.

“We’ve had a lot of help from friends, church and from my customers, and I want to thank everybody for their prayers. I know I don’t deserve a miracle, but Rachael does.

“God made her walk again, and we’re happy that she’s able to stand and walk. Every day is a good day.”