Meet Haruka

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Age: 9 years old
Diagnosis: Cerebral Palsy

Haruka was born premature and hospitalized for almost two months in Japan. When she turned two years old, she could talk a lot, but still couldn't walk. After many tests and exams, Haruka was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

After her diagnosis, Haruka began to wear leg braces and started therapy at a hospital in Japan. Her family moved to Ohio when she was three and half years old and she started treatment at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Haruka participates in The Comprehensive Cerebral Palsy (CP) Program at Nationwide Children’s. The Cerebral Palsy Program is an interdisciplinary clinic devoted to providing state of the art holistic care for children, adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy.

The CP Program emphasizes excellence in clinical care while focusing on translational research to improve outcomes for children and adults with CP.

Although there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, Haruka’s team of doctors formulated a treatment plan to reduce the effects of her CP. She has been participating in physical therapy and occupational therapy once a week for the past five years. Her favorite therapy is horseback riding. She also has a Cerebral Palsy team session once a year where her doctors evaluate her progress and treatment plan.

This past August, Haruka underwent a surgical procedure to correct some of the deformities between her femur and hip joints. She will be inpatient at Nationwide Children’s during the first few weeks of October as she heals and completed rehabilitation, but her team hopes this surgery will improve her mobility, posture and ensure healthy growth.

Haruka enjoys reading (her favorite series is Warriors by Erin Hunter), arts and crafts, dancing and singing. She also loves fashion and make-up. Haruka will motivate all those participating in the Meaningful Miles Challenge with her high energy and contagious smile.