When Rhea Chancellor was three years old, she went to sleep one day and woke up paralysed. Diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, the Illinois resident was paralysed almost three years ago; however, she is now on the road to recovery, thanks to Chappell Roan’s hits.
Chappell Roan’s music is helping 6-year-old Rhea Chancellor learn how to walk again
Soon after her daughter was diagnosed with AFM, Wanda, Rhea’s mother, searched for many options and treatment plans that could help her daughter deal with the paralysis. “I started looking for anything and everything I could to get her the best chance of recovery,” she shared while talking to InvestigateTV.Wanda further explained that when they approached the University of Louisville study at the Kosair for Kids Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery at Frazier Rehab, the therapists there found a new way to help Rhea. Molly Brooks, the research manager at the facility, commented on how singing one of her favourite songs by Chappell Roan, ‘Pink Pony Club,’ helped Rhea a lot. She added, “She’s definitely fun to be around, but you definitely have to match her energy.”Brooks further shared, “[Chappell Roan’s] music is obviously inspiring. It elicits this joy out of this child and this entire team. All the different songs we are singing and different games we are playing—we really have intent behind it: “How will this help progress her recovery?”Her mother also noted that the music has helped Rhea a lot, mentioning, “Before, she would buckle her knees, and now she’s slowly not buckling her knees. She hasn’t been able to move her thumb for three years, and yesterday she gave me a thumbs up.”She concluded the interview by sharing that she has hopes from her daughter’s treatments: “I’m hoping one day she’s walking, whether it’s with a device or not. I know if I continue this therapy, she has a chance of recovery, and my girl will walk again.”
What is acute flaccid myelitis?
According to reports shared online by Cleveland Clinic, acute flaccid myelitis is “a rare neurological condition that causes your muscles and reflexes to become weak. It often affects your upper limbs and can affect the muscles you need to breathe as well. Because of this, it’s important to seek medical care as soon as possible if you or your child develop symptoms.” The report also shared that the condition mainly affects children between the ages of one and seven; however, in rare cases, adults can also develop AFM.
