Meet Our CMN Hero Luther!

There are times when a parent’s intuition can sense when something isn’t quite right. That was the case with 5-year-old Luther’s parents, Hilary and Dusty. The first year of Luther’s life had passed by without him reaching any of the milestones that were typical of other infants his age, like sitting upright unassisted, crawling and taking first steps. When others would offer an affirming “every baby is different”, his parents’ gut feelings begged to differ; they knew there had to be something more affecting Luther’s growth and development.

After a referral to Neurology at Gundersen and an MRI scan, Luther’s family finally learned the diagnosis: calcifications on the brain indicating congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), a viral infection commonly contracted at birth that often causes long-term health concerns and hearing loss in young children, which Luther had already been experiencing. Luther’s hearing loss progressed rapidly to the point of complete deafness, for which he received cochlear implants and special hearing devices.

CMV continued to affect other areas and functions of Luther’s body, including his eyesight, mobility, thyroid, nerves, and muscles. Through selective dorsal rhizotomy spinal surgery, speech, physical and occupational therapies and additional early-childhood development services, Luther has made amazing strides. He is very social, loves making friends and is no shy in the slightest! He loves animals, especially cows, and has a passion for farming with his dad and grandpa. He hopes to be a rancher when he grows up.

The Luther’s family is incredibly grateful for the support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the help they have provided throughout Luther’s medical journey. They are especially appreciative of CMN Hospitals stepping in while awaiting insurance coverage, so they did not have to worry about the expense of continuing Luther’s treatments during that very stressful time.

“CMN has been there during the most difficult time of our lives,” said Hilary. “Receiving a diagnosis and finding out about yet another procedure that is needed can be so overwhelming, but having someone there to say, ‘We’re here to help’, has made a huge difference.”