HIE Awareness Month

April is HIE Awareness Month. 

As the month draws to a close, I wanted to share a few thoughts. 

Many of the kiddos that use Trexo have an HIE injury. First and foremost, to those kiddos and their families:

We see the smiles and the effort the kids make, we see the hard work the families put in. We know there are tears, frustrations, fears, stress and exhaustion that we don’t see. This month and always, we want you to know we see you. We are glad to be just a small part of your journey. We thank you for the updates, photos and moments you share with us. 

For those that don’t know, HIE is an oxygen deprivation-caused brain injury that occurs either during the perinatal period, in the weeks leading up to birth, or during labor and delivery. Occasionally it occurs after child-birth. In the U.S. and most countries that are technically advanced, with full-term infants, HIE occurs in approximately 3-20 per 1000 live births. In preterm infants, HIE occurs in up to 60% of live births.

Some parents receive an HIE diagnosis immediately after birth, others discover it later when their child misses developmental milestones. 

Most parents don’t know what exactly it will mean for their child. There can be a lot of waiting and uncertainty. 

As HIE awareness continues to grow, more and more resources are becoming available to parents.

As kids get older and signs and symptoms develop, parents often turn to the internet, social media and local resources to determine what options are available to them. It is during this research that parents often find us. Our Trexo Robotics Gait Training system helps children with disabilities walk. 

There are various technologies and devices that help with different areas for the children. Weighing the options and the costs can be daunting. Stay tuned for information in the coming weeks on those topics and more.

Today, in honor of HIE Awareness month, I really just wanted to shine some light on the families and children that live with HIE and to thank the ones who have become part of the Trexo community. 

– Jenn