Teya

Teya began CME® Therapy at the age of four and a half years old in 2002, with the diagnosis of congenital cerebellar hypoplasia and deafness. To better understand Teya’s case, let’s briefly explain the cerebellum’s characteristics, based on information adapted from the NINDS website:

The cerebellum is composed of two large hemispheres and is located in the lower back portion of the head, directly behind the brainstem and pons, and below the occipital lobe. The cerebellum, which means “little brain” in Latin, is a region of the brain that plays a crucial role in integrating sensory perception and motor output. Neural pathways link the cerebellum with the motor cortex, which sends information to the muscles causing them to move, and the spinocerebellar tract, which provides feedback on the position of the body in space (proprioception).

The cerebellum integrates these functions, using constant feedback on body position to fine-tune motor functions. Due to this “updating” function, lesions in the cerebellum do not cause paralysis but result in feedback deficits, leading to disorders in fine movement, equilibrium, posture, and motor learning.

Teya was under the care of her country’s health system from a very early age, receiving all necessary services, including conventional physical therapy. In the months before starting CME® Therapy, she was trained to use a walker frame. However, due to constant falling caused by a complete lack of balance and motor control while using the walker, Teya’s mother was advised to consider a wheelchair for safety reasons. 

This recommendation stemmed from the belief of the professionals involved in her care that she would not achieve motor independence, likely due to her severe diagnosis and slow developmental progress.

In the initial assessment of Teya in August 2002, she showed limited responses in standing posture tests. For example, in the test for “Standing posture by hands on wall,” she received a minimal response score of 1, as she was afraid to maintain a standing position using only her hands for support. This test required basic balance control to keep the center of gravity within the base of support without grasping, which is an immature reaction seen in motor-delayed children.

Teya had never been placed in a standing position without grasping a solid support before. In tests like “Steps by one hand-arm horizontal” and “Standing posture free,” she scored zero. Her overall motor level from the assessment was equivalent to that of a 10-month-old, despite being four and a half years old.

Fortunately, from the first set of intensive therapy sessions, Teya showed good tolerance to the new therapy and responded well to the exercises. However, due to her size and lack of balanced reactions, it was challenging for her mother and therapist to provoke functional responses by holding her ankles.

Despite these challenges, the effort proved to be immensely worthwhile. Slowly but steadily, Teya made continuous progress with CME® Therapy under Ramón Cuevas. Following the therapy, she was able to stand up from the floor independently, walk freely on the street for almost unlimited distances, turn in any direction with functional balance control, and navigate small staircases.

Teya continues to cope with severe cerebellar atrophy and is Deaf and is not yet completely independent. However, she graduated with a full high school diploma and pursued further studies in cinematography and culinary arts in college. She leads a healthy and active lifestyle, participating in spin classes and ballroom dancing, and aims to achieve her bronze medallion in swimming. Teya aspires to work in film and teach American Sign Language to children.

– Jeanette, Teya’s mother