Flat Heads Unite!

So one of the best things about writing this blog is that I've been able to connect with parents around the world who are going through a similar process to us here in Canada. I've been lucky enough to speak with parents from Boston, Toronto, UK and California just to name a few! How awesome is that? Thank you internets, for bringing the flat headed children and their parents together! Who else could understand what its like to overhear non stop whispering, pointing, and general staring at our beautiful helmeted children? Or the helpful advice they like to provide such as the Costco Checkout Lady who told my dear friend, Heather that "You really should turn them in the crib you know, so they don't get that flat spot." Ha! I didn't realize that turning them in the crib not only cured torticollis but traumatic births as well. If only we could have heeded her advice earlier...

Anyway, through the wonders of the internet, I've been able to connect with Carine and her lovely daughter Stella. :) Hooray for another Toronto area family!

Stella was just recently fitted with her helmet at 5 months old. Stella, like Ella (how cute!), was also diagnosed with torticollis from a young age. Stella couldn't move her head to the left, and this caused a flat spot to develop, that was diagnosed at her 2 month well baby checkup. (This story sounds very familiar!). Stella also underwent therapy on her neck, and the ROM is much improved. Her head shape looked like this:

At her one month follow up, it had improved to this:

WOW! What a huge change! Stella's head grew 2cm this month and it has made a huge difference in the shape on her head. Yay Stella! And good job Momma!

Because these fancy helmets only come in one colour (medicinal white, yuck), Carine took the helmet to be painted by an artist in North Bay, Ontario called Michael Ciupka, while her family was on vacation. This artist is quite talented! Check out his work at: http://www.mcdesigns.ca/ . And this is how her helmet turned out:

Wow! So beautiful. So glad to welcome Stella into the fancy helmet club!

Thanks Mama! Now this is a helmet I can be proud of!

Special thanks to Carine and her daughter Stella for being our special guests on this weeks edition of Molding a Melon! Oh, and if there are any other parents hanging out there in cyber space, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me an email at kaite.fryer@gmail.com or leave a message here!