One month ago, former Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King Edmonds’ son Hart was diagnosed with irreversible brain damage.
Edmonds shared the heartbreaking news in an emotional blog post last month. After going through a battery of tests, an MRI showed Hart has periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a brain injury that is commonly found in babies born very prematurely and with a very low birth weight. PVL can lead to trouble with vision and muscle and developmental delays.
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Hart was not born prematurely, but the child’s neurologist said the damage most likely occurred in utero.
Edmonds shared with Page Six recently that she was “relieved” to hear the diagnosis because it “explained all of my concerns: the rigidity in his muscles, the (somewhat) delayed physical milestones, the lack of fluidity with arm and leg movements, the stiffness in joints, the weakness in his lower back, the somewhat favored use of his right side.”
Hart is currently in physical therapy, sees a chiropractor, and is participating in other means of early intervention to help him reach his developmental milestones. “I’m just hoping that all the early intervention stuff we’re doing now is going to help him and by kindergarten, he won’t be doing any more therapy at all,” she continued.
In a recent Instagram post, Edmonds shared that the PT and early intervention are having positive results. “Four times a week either Jimmy or I ‘dive’ with Hart in a hyperbaric compressed oxygen chamber. After 4 dives we are already seeing progress: lifting his left leg on stairs when his right is retrained, bear crawling, more willingly taking steps with assistance, and cruising from the couch to the coffee table.”
While Edmonds has certainly found the experience challenging, she is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to get her son well. “I will go on about this another time but just know that I do not see his diagnosis as anything but a gift: we were chosen to take on this special person. I truly feel as if we’ve doubled down and won the underdog hand. Truly,” she said.