‘Nothing short of a miracle’: incredible effects of pediatric intensive therapy

After a tragic horse riding accident, Emilee Scholefield’s family were told their five year old daughter would likely never walk or talk again but after years of intensive therapy she has defied the odds.

Emilee Scholefield sustained a traumatic brain injury after falling off her horse when she was five. She was flown to Brisbane and spent weeks in a coma.

At just five years old, Emilee Scholefield suffered a traumatic brain injury in a terrible horse riding accident.

It happened in June of 2021 on the Scholefield’s family property in the Western Downs.

She was flown to the Children’s Hospital in Brisbane where she spent days in intensive care and the following weeks in a coma.

Emilee had suffered a diffuse axonal injury, a severe traumatic brain injury where connecting brain fibres are sheared as the brain rapidly shifts inside the skull.

Her mum, Amy Scholefield, said there was so much uncertainty following the accident.

“We got told that she probably wouldn’t ever walk or talk to us again and that she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life,” she said.

“Is she going to recover? We didn’t know. It was terrifying.”

Emilee Scholefield sustained a traumatic brain injury after falling off her horse when she was five. She was flown to Brisbane and spent weeks in a coma.

Months later Emilee slowly started saying mum and dad again, she was reintroduced to soft foods, she started trying to sit up on her own, and then she finally started crawling.

“Slowly she just got more stable and she kept trying and trying and she never gave up,” Ms Scholefield said.

“She was a trooper and she kept getting better.”

For the last few years Ms Scholefield has been taking Emilee to Centre of Movement, one of the few pediatric health clinics in Australia that offers intensive therapy.

“You often get told that a brain injury is finite, like that’s it, like you are damaged now and you can’t be fixed,” she said.

“Despite what people have told us, that three years after a brain injury that’s as good as you’re going to get, we haven’t seen that.

“She has not stopped improving.”

Nine year old Emilee Scholefield suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling off a horse when she was five.

The family drives about six hours to the Gold Coast a few times a year for the intensive therapy programs.

Intensive therapy is a niche form of treatment that gives kids almost a year’s worth of therapy in just three weeks and Ms Scholefield said she has seen the world of difference in her daughter.

“It has taken a village to get Em back to where she is now,” she said.

“I like to show other people who are at the start of the journey, that Emilee started where you are now, so it is possible.”

Nine year old Emilee Scholefield suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling off a horse when she was five.

Centre of Movement co-founder Stephen Pennisi said they have been amazed watching Emilee’s progress over the past few years.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle how far she’s come and how far she has gained in her movement,” he said.

“It’s actually from all the hard work and dedication Emilee and her family have put in.”

Nine year old Emilee Scholefield, who sustained a traumatic brain injury four years ago, doing intensive therapy with Centre of Movement.

Stephen and his wife Emily Pennisi founded Centre of Movement about six years ago on the Gold Coast.

Growing up in regional Far North Queensland, the couple are allied health professionals and have seen the need for more access to health in remote regions.

“Bringing therapy to remote and rural areas had been a bit of a goal of ours,” he said.

“We’re able to give kids access to specialised intensive therapy without having to pay for accommodation and travel with a medically complex child.”

Centre of Movement is running their Toowoomba pop-up centre from May 12-23 at Allstars Gymnastics to support families in the region.

Mr Pennisi said after an overwhelmingly positive response from families and Centre of Movement have hopes to set up a satellite clinic in Toowoomba.

“There’s such a need in the Darling Downs,” he said.

Mr Pennisi said there are only about three or four other organisations that do intensive pediatric therapy in Australia and people travel from across the country to access their services.

With several clients even travelling from New Zealand, Mr Pennisi said they are excited to announce that they will be opening two centres in Auckland and Rotorua by the end of the year.

Originally published as ‘Nothing short of a miracle’: incredible effects of pediatric intensive therapy