Mother gets extra special gift

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Ivonne Montellano never gave up.

For 17 years her son Freddy has suffered from a severe, mysterious neurological disease related to Cerebral Palsey. He is wheelchair-bound and unable to speak, although he understands three languages.

She tried every kind of treatment without success, until a rare procedure at Dell Children's Medical Center provided relief.

In recent years, involuntary neurological spasms caused Freddy to harm himself, biting his tongue or lips, slamming into walls and so on.

Ivonne and Freddy criss-crossed Mexico and the United States trying everything, including water therapy with dolphins, spinal taps and biopsies, electro-punctures, Chinese medicine, photo therapy, spiritual healers and even three exorcisms.

Still, nothing worked.

"It was very frustrating because we so badly wanted to help our child," said Ivonne. "It was very frustrating, but we never gave up. When you do things with love, you can always do your best."

For the past five years, Freddy has been treated at Dell Children's Medical Center. But even they were stumped.

"We haven't definied what's wrong with him, so I'd say it's exceptionally rare. I've never met another child who has the same problem that Freddy has," said Neurosurgeon Dr. Karen Keough.

Doctors recommended deep brain stimulation, a very rare procedure for nonadults.

Ivonne was reluctant at first but finally agreed.

Two electrodes were placed deep in Freddy's brain core, to calm down the neurons that were triggering his spasmodic, violent behavior. There is an outside remote control that can tweak the frequency, power and impulses of the electrodes.

The effect was immediate and obvious. Freddy stopped harming himself.

Freddy may never walk, or speak, or live a full normal life span. But he is happy now and no longer hurting himself. Ivonne calls it, "The best Mother's Day ever."