Baby superhero Arlo continues to battle problems and defy odds
By Simon Walsh
AN EIGHT-month-old baby from Tallaght is continuing to defy the odds and be a true superhero to his family and friends, despite a possible diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Born 16 weeks prematurely and weighing just 700g, little Arlo Ethan O’Rorke has battled through sepsis, eight blood transfusions, kidney stones, a hernia and significant hearing loss.
However, he continues to inspire and defy all the odds, including the possibility that he may have cerebral palsy.
This week, Arlo’s family is staying positive and feeding off the strength shown by their little warrior, who was the star of a video which, garnering a lot of support online, was posted by his mam Laura Davis and dad Aaron O’Rorke on Tuesday.
Speaking to The Echo, Laura, who lives in Springfield, said developmental checks over the course of the last three weeks have shown that Arlo is demonstrating all the signs of cerebral palsy.
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She said: “He’s being attending physio weekly and they’ve been keeping a close eye on him.
“His legs and feet are stiff and I’ve been given several exercises to do with him as often as I can daily to improve and hopefully loosen his muscles.
“We’re currently waiting for a MRI scan to see what damage is done to his brain and might have some answers, but unfortunately we won’t know exactly how bad he is until he’s two years old or until he’s not reaching these milestones.”
Despite the possible diagnosis, Arlo has once again reacted like the little super hero he is, and this week Laura shared a video online of her baby boy moving and stretching in ways he never had before.
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“I do believe there’s something not exactly right with Arlo’s legs and feet, but he can move them and I definitely believe it is only a minor case of cerebral palsy,” she explained.
“I know deep, deep down he will be fine. He will walk and will do things any other ‘normal’ child does.
“Nothing has or will get in his way. He’s proved these doctors wrong right from the beginning and this is just another hurdle for him.
“Watching him move his arms, hands, legs and feet constantly and witnessing him reach out, twist and do all this just brought tears of joy. This was a massive milestone.”
Arlo featured in The Echo in March when his family and friends gathered to celebrate his christening with a super-hero-themed party.
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