A little hero can make a big difference for perinatal stroke awareness

By Jennifer Keeble, Michael’s mom 

In 2021, my son Michael, then just 3, was honored with an American Stroke Association Stroke Hero Award as a perinatal stroke survivor. 

As Michael’s parents, Brett and I have aimed to be a source of support and raise awareness of pediatric stroke. It’s our way of turning our shock of the stroke diagnosis and its impact on our baby into something bigger than ourselves. The hero award, in the Voters’ Choice category, represented hundreds upon hundreds of supporters across the country, some whom we’ve never met, voting for our little boy. 

That recognition equated to increased awareness. After the award, Michael and our family were featured in various news segments that continued to educate and inspire others. Families impacted by perinatal stroke began reaching out to me for support. I had countless phone calls and emails and ended up creating, with other stroke moms, a Facebook pediatric stroke support group. 

Since his award, Michael has been able to voice his observations about his right-side weakness, with his right hand most affected. He’s asked questions like, “Why do I have to do this [therapy], and Nicholas [his little brother] doesn’t?” Or he would say, “My right hand doesn’t work as well as my left hand.” 

We give him direct, honest answers and remain positive. We believe this has happened to Michael for a God-given reason, and we want him to be encouraged through its challenges and difficulties.

Currently, we are participating in a national research study about why some perinatal stroke survivors develop epilepsy around age 5 – which is the course Michael’s medical journey has taken.

Michael does not let his stroke and epilepsy diagnoses define him. He has a persevering spirit, is proud of himself, and continues to thrive as a miracle and marvel to us!

He especially loves sports. He’s competed in a local running series, where he placed second for his age group. He enjoys playing outside and swimming in the ocean.

His biggest passion is soccer. He’s been an MVP for his team as the top scorer all three seasons he’s played. At age 5, he is even training for soccer with 7- and 8-year-olds. Michael also loves playing his Nintendo Switch, which we appreciate for the therapy it provides for bimanual hand use.

We consider ourselves fortunate to still rely on his same medical team since his initial days in intensive care. Early on, we learned about the local hospital’s bimanual hand therapy camp for kids like Michael. We even fundraised for the camp, hoping our son would have the opportunity to participate after he turned 5 last April.

Last summer, he was among the handful of patients in the camp’s two-week, full-day therapy sessions. He has gained more from the camp experience than he had accumulated across his life’s therapies. He was finally able to use his right hand in new ways! Today, Michael is a successful kindergartner and is even writing without therapy.

Michael is our hero! I still tell him every night at bedtime that I am proud of him. That is what his award symbolizes to me — simply, that I am proud of him every day.

Michael Keeble was named the American Stroke Association’s 2021 Voters’ Choice Hero as part of the Stroke Hero Awards. You can learn more about his story here.

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For more information on this health topic, visit stroke.org.

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