Meet Ernest.

Victoria and Ernest Sr. have faced and overcome more obstacles than most parents. At her twenty-week ultrasound, Victoria was excited to see her baby for the first time. However, a few minutes into the appointment she sensed something was wrong. Her fears were realized when doctors referred her to Stanford for further examination. Multiple tests and ultrasounds later, her baby was diagnosed with Agenesis of Corpus Callosum (ACC), a complex brain disorder that can cause significant developmental delays. According to Victoria, before Ernest Junior was even born, “We were told crawling, walking, and talking would be severe challenges for him or completely non-existent.”   

For a first-time mom and dad, this news was devastating. They learned that ACC was a wide spectrum and there was no way to know his future. Even so, they did their best to understand his diagnosis and look forward to his arrival. When Ernest Junior was born, they realized that no one could ever be fully prepared to care for a child with medical complexity. Those first months were harrowing and at six months old he received a second diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. This new information made crawling and walking seem even less attainable. 

Fortunately, when Ernest met Coastal Kids physical therapist Johnna Miller when he was twenty months old, they clicked. According to Victoria, “We were doing the best we could, and then as soon as Johnna came into our lives, he started growing leaps and bounds.”  Victoria was referred to Coastal Kids by the San Andreas Regional Center (SARC) and she is so grateful that she found Johnna, “I couldn’t see my son being where he is today without her and without Coastal Kids.” 

At two-and-a-half, Ernest is now a big brother to eight-month-old Johnny who also has ACC. According to Victoria, “We never anticipated both of our children being born with the same brain disorder. In the beginning, we were like, ‘Why us’ and ‘What caused this’ and it took us time to acknowledge that there was nothing we could have done to change the outcome.” Victoria and her fiancé now go on to say, “They are perfect just the way they are, we have agreed that no matter what life throws at us we are going to tackle it as a family.” 

Although both boys are diagnosed with ACC, they illustrate the broad spectrum of development. Johnny is already pulling to stand and crawling, while his big brother remains more reserved. Recently, Ernest Jr received a new gait trainer which will assist him in taking his first steps.

“I couldn’t see my son being where he is today without Johnna his Physical Therapist and without Coastal Kids.” – Ernest’s Mom