Like most kids, Louie came into this world healthy and happy.  He was quite healthy on all counts; but, 30 days into his new life, he suffered a massive brain hemorrhage deep in the center of his brain. While surface bleeds are relatively common in neonates, Louie’s hemorrhage was more like the kind an elderly person would experience. 

At that time, the doctors had never seen anything like it, and unfortunately had no idea what to expect for his future. The prognosis was no more than, “we will just have to wait and see”. 

Life was not easy for Louie, unfortunately the damage caused by that stroke left him with a seizure disorder, a V-P shunt in his head, and quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Louie never talked, never walked, had no voluntary muscle control, couldn’t shoo a fly off his face if one landed there; Louie was your typical severely impaired child. 

But there was one thing Louie could do and he did it better than most … Louie could smile like no other! Louie’s smile came from deep within and was contagious to all who met him. 

Louie was the very essence of joy and touched many lives while he was with us. It is our Hope to carry on spreading The Joy That Was Louie to other families with children just like him!

The Joy of Louie in 2 minutes and 26 seconds: