The 'Grace' of a Young Stroke Victim Is an Inspiration

Editor's Note: This is a poem by Gracie Doran, an 11-year-old stroke victim. Her inspiring story follows.

I Am Somebody

I am a dancer

I am an individual who wonders about why this
happened to me
I feel grateful to be alive

I am the daughter of Bobby and Barbara
I hear the birds
I see flowers
I want good grades and an education
I touch my soft dog
I am a 5th grader at Laguna Niguel Elementary School
I am Somebody!

I pretend to be a teacher
I think about getting well again
I cry when I am sad
I am 11 years old on June 4th
I am a symbol of courage
I am Somebody!

I understand good things take time
I am a survivor
I say I will be better soon
I dream of using my hand again
I am a believer in God
Some people do not think I make sense
My hope is that I'm 100% again
It is these things I believe in

I am Somebody

I am Gracie Doran...

Girl Behind the Poem

Catherine "Gracie" Doran, 11, had to learn how to grow up pretty quickly.

Gracie, who suffered a stroke in the fifth grade, is now a sixth grader at . She is also a 2011 poster girl for the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association’s Have a Heart, Save a Heart, campaign, which ended Feb 20. Today, Gracie has returned to full-function walking, though she has a limp and partial paralysis in her arm and hand. She is no longer paralyzed. 

The AHA teamed up with Stater Bros. for the 10th year to raise awareness and funds to fight heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in the United States.

Learning Early On

Gracie was diagnosed when she was 6 with cavernous hemangiomas. These are small, non-cancerous growths that were in found in her brain. She had a bleed in her brain (frontal lobe), and it caused a seizure. As a result, she was put on anti-seizure medications, said her mother, Barbara Doran.

“We were told she had numerous hemangiomas. We monitored them for many years with no issues. Then two years ago, one in particular on her brain stem was very troubling. We consulted numerous doctors and were told that is was too dangerous to remove it surgically. These things can be left alone and never cause any damage, and the odds of a brain bleed are very small,” she said. 

A Life-Changing Moment

On Aug. 2, 2009, at age 10, while enjoying a day at the beach, things changed for Gracie.

“We took her home—not quite realizing that it was a stroke—and called her doctor,” Barbara Doran said.

The family was advised take Gracie to CHOC and after a CAT scan was performed, they found out the hemangioma had ruptured.  She now was showing signs of stroke damage—right-sided weakness, left-sided facial weakness and slurred speech.

Surgeons felt Gracie would need surgery to remove the blood clot and hemangioma tissue. But they wanted to wait a few days before performing the surgery. Gracie started to decline physically and underwent brain surgery in August 2009. Post-operatively, her entire body was paralyzed, and she could not eat, speak or move. Her blood clot was very large and left a lot of damage, said Barbara Doran. 

“We stayed at CHOC another week and then were transferred to Healthbridge Children's Hospital for in-patient rehabilitation. She stayed there about seven weeks and re-learned to eat, speak and walk.  She still had to use a wheelchair for two months after she came home but is now walking without aid,” said Barbara Doran. 

Gracie also has a limp, and her right hand is paralyzed. The left side of her face is paralyzed, but she has had facial nerve reconstruction.

Moving Forward

Doran said that her daughter's smile is now coming back and that she has had five eye surgeries and another brain surgery in November on her frontal lobe because another hemangioma started to look suspicious.

“I always thought that even though this happened to me, I would get better and I would do good things because of it,” said Gracie, who wants a career “helping others.”

“As a mom," Barbara Doran said, "it’s one of those situations where you just do what you need to do to take care of your family.  Gracie was a great source of strength with her sheer determination to get better. I figured if she didn't feel sorry for herself, I couldn't feel sorry for myself.  The support of my husband, other children, friends, church, the school and her dance family kept us all going.”

Gracie's siblings include Rachel, 25; Krista, 21; and 9-year-old brother Michael. 

“Mentally, she is the strongest person I know,” said her mother. “She does not think of herself as sick or disabled and won't let anyone else think of her that way either.”

Still Learning, Still Coping

Cognitively, Gracie is at 100 percent. She's on the honor roll and was chosen to be in the CUSD honor choir last year only four months after she re-learned to speak. 

Pre-surgery, she was a competitive dancer at Mission Viejo Dance and Performing Arts Center. The group worked it out so she could still be on the team even when she could barely walk. They made her a plant on a rolling cart, and she stole the show. This year, she is competing again on the production team. 

“All of these things keep us and her going. She worked so hard and exceeded all expectations and time lines on her recovery,” said Barbara Doran. “She rarely gets down. I think I've cried more about this then she has."

Gracie became a campaign poster girl for Stater Bros. via a friend of the family who works for the American Heart Association. 

“I was unaware that the AHA was also the American Stroke Association. We agreed immediately because we feel very strongly that we need to pay it forward,” said Barbara Doran. “We have been given so much support from the community and we felt if we can share our story and help raise money for such a great cause, we were happy to do it."

The family members continue to be proud of Gracie as they watch her grow and get stronger daily.

“Every one of us has been so greatly affected by what happened.  Gracie is an inspiration to many, and that makes us very proud. Her name says it all, as she has shown so much maturity and grace throughout this entire journey,” says Barbara Doran.

“Never give up, because even though something bad happens to you, good things will come back to you,” said Gracie.

Visit caringbridge.org/visit/catherinegracedoran and read Gracie's  blog.

Last year, Have a Heart, Save a Heart raised $413,310 by selling $1 and $5 hearts at registers in Stater Bros. stores throughout Southern California. Since 2001, Stater Bros. has raised more than $2.8 million for the fight against heart disease and stroke.