New equipment at Witwer Children’s Therapy helps patients improve mobility

CEDAR RAPIDS — Two-year-old Olivia Housman has had an “uphill battle from day one,” but she hasn’t stopped fighting.

Olivia’s mom, Jodi Junge, said her daughter is an inspiration and a “fighter.”

Olivia, who turns 3 next month, was born in February 2020 at 24 weeks and five days gestation. She weighed 13 ounces when she was born.

The biggest goal for parents Jodi Junge and Chase Housman of Van Horne was for their daughter to survive. Olivia spent nine months in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. She also was transferred to a hospital in Chicago for surgery on her right eye, which she cannot see out of.

While in the NICU, doctors discovered Olivia had various broken bones because she was born so early. She also needed a breathing tube for several months.

“She’s just overcome so many battles,” Junge said, calling her daughter a “miracle.”

Junge and Housman were able to bring Olivia home in November 2020, and Olivia finally got to meet her three older siblings — Zoey, 17, Cole, 14, and Cali, 9. Junge said Olivia loves interacting with her siblings — “they are her favorite people” — and the four kids have an amazing bond.

Soon after being released from the NICU, Olivia started appointments at Witwer Children’s Therapy when she was nine months old. For about two years, Olivia has gone to weekly therapy appointments.

Junge said it has been “surreal” to see Olivia’s progress of crawling, pulling herself up and learning to walk because at one point the family didn’t know if she’d ever be able to do those things.

One of Olivia’s goals is to walk unassisted, which she’s been working toward with the help of the MiraColt, new equipment at UnityPoint Health — St. Luke’s Witwer Children’s Therapy in Cedar Rapids. MiraColt mimics riding a horse, and Witwer is currently the only therapy clinic in the state that uses this equipment in sessions.

MiraColt added to Witwer’s ‘treatment toolbox’

St. Luke’s Foundation received a $17,281 grant from Variety — The Children’s Charity to purchase two MiraColt horse riding simulator machines. The MiraColt was developed and built by Chariot Innovations, a company based out of Baylor University in Texas.

The equipment allows Witwer Children’s Therapy to offer the benefits of hippotherapy within the clinic environment. Hippotherapy is a type of therapy that uses the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor and sensory input.

The MiraColt includes motions that mimic the three-dimensional quality of a horse’s gait and offers features other therapy equipment does not. The equipment has been used in medical and therapy clinics across the county.

The equipment is expected to help individuals with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and other neuromuscular conditions, according to a news release. This form of therapy has been proven to show improvements in mobility, balance, control of posture, walking, speaking and motor skills.

“The Miracolt is an exciting addition to our treatment toolbox,” said Sarah Bengtson, Witwer's senior physical therapist and clinic supervisor. “The equipment challenges children’s balance and postural control and is a fun way to work on these and other movement skills in a clinic-based setting.”

Witwer Children’s Therapy offered hippotherapy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, therapists saw there were barriers for patients with this type of therapy, including traveling to the stable.

“This tool has opened increased opportunities for the therapists to utilize the principles of hippotherapy with an increased variety of patients,” said Keri Andrews, senior physical therapist.

Making good progress

Junge said Olivia has been using the MiraColt in her sessions for a couple of months and loves it.

During the last two years of appointments at Witwer, Olivia has worked on rolling over, sitting, pulling herself up and standing. Junge said she has made good progress.

“When she came here two years ago, she couldn't really hold her head up that well,” Junge said. “Her head was still really wobbly. So to see her be able to do all this, like I would never have imagined that she'd be doing that already.”

Andrews, who is Olivia’s physical therapist, said the MiraColt is used as part of a patient’s session instead of taking up the whole session like hippotherapy typically did.

Olivia would be too small for hipportherapy on an actual horse, but she can use the MiraColt, Andrews said.

Olivia will be a flower girl at a wedding in August. Junge said her goal is for Olivia to walk down the aisle at the wedding, either with or without an assisted walker.

Other goals

Junge said Olivia has always been motivated by her own movement. Junge said her daughter’s personality is infectious and she “radiates happiness.”

“She has to work harder than other kids because it takes her body a little bit longer to do everything,” Junge said. “Watching her learn how to sit and learn how to pull herself up to stand, each one of those milestones has just been extra sweet because we know how far she's come.”

Olivia is also working on feeding therapy, which has been one of the hardest skills, Junge said. Olivia currently has a g-tube for feeding.

She is also working on opening her hands and is learning sign language to communicate since she is not speaking yet. She does both physical and occupational therapy.

She’s going to start 3-year-old preschool this month, two days a week for half-days.

“I think it’ll be really good for her to interact with other kids her age,” Junge said.

Junge said it’s also been fun to be able to do things as a family, such as taking Olivia to her siblings’ athletic events.

“They like knowing that she's there in the stands watching them,” Junge said. “They love being able to take a picture with her after their game.”

‘She’ll know her story’

When Olivia was in the NICU, Junge started a Facebook group to post updates about her daughter’s journey for friends, family and others who heard her story. The page — Tiny but Mighty: Olivia Jo — has nearly 2,000 members who keep up with updates on Olivia’s progress.

Junge posts less often now then she used to, but she still updates the group a couple times per month.

One day when Olivia is older, Junge plans to share the updates with her daughter.

“She'll know her story, and she'll know that she's strong and she can overcome anything,” Junge said.

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