Adventures In Complexity

by c-section in February 2011 and transferred to Temple Street Children's Hospital Dublin by ambulance when he was 5 hours old. He had his back opening closed when he was 2 days old and had a shunt inserted into his brain (the shunt drains cerebrospinal fluid from his brain into his stomach to stop the fluid compressing his brain) when he was 1 week old. Luca has had a difficult few years since with 30 general anaesthetics, including 17 for lifesaving brain surgeries to control his hydrocephalus. Luca has no feeling from his knees down and was never expected to walk or crawl. Luca has been doing intensive physiotherapy since November 2013, when he was 2.5 years old. After his initial 3 weeks of intensive therapy he was able to sit up with no support, go from lying to sitting and was bum shuffling and army crawling around on the floor. Luca is now walking with the aid of splints and a walker and started walking with crutches in April 2019. You can also follow his progress on Instagram at @gosuperluca