United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I had just got done giving my daughter a bath and noticed that her Right Arm is shorter than her left arm, does that have anything to do with her BPI? My second question is does anyone know anything about an attorney named Lon Walters, if so is he any good or is there any other good attorneys in Kansas City, Kansas or Missouri, that anyone could recommend? This all may sound stupid, but all of this is new to me!!!!!! Thanks if you can help, Lesley Jane' Mom (Danielle)

Danielle,

I don't know Lon Walters, but Sam Cullen is who we went to. We are in the early stages of our case, (our daughter is 5 and we waited to start), so I can't tell you of outcomes. He is very interested and caring. Sam knows a lot about BPI's and keeps in constant contact. If you are interested, their number is 866-540-7600.

Good luck in your search,

Nancy

Nothing you post is stupid. Were all family here and thats how its been for a long time. site may help you alot . www.injurednewborn.com may be of assistence and Francines site http://www.injurednewborn.com/maia/homepage.html. Justice left BPI arm is shorter too and yes it is from the injury. Not sure about the attorny sorry.

Danielle,

We currently have our case with Sam Cullen. Sam is a medical Doctor and an attorney. That is one of the reasons that we choose him was because of his medical background. As Nancy said Dr Cullen is always very caring. One of the things that my husband and I liked the most was the way that he explains the injury and how it happens. Good Luck. Brandy

Danielle, bpi arm being shorter is normal with this type of injury. Weight bearing is very helpful in strengthening the bone and enabling it to grow. My son 9 1/2 mos is always on the floor except when eating, bathing and being changed, other than that he gets lots of exercise and I've noticed that his arm is growing. I don't think that it will catch up with the other but it will grow.
Paula

I am right obpi

My arm is approx. 3-1/2 " shorter... it has always been smaller then my unaffected arm...

my hand is a bit smaller too.... I think this is normal for bpi children.

Kath

This is not stupid, Lesley. It was actually my Mom who first noticed the difference in our daughter's arm length. I hadn't noticed b/c of the way she positioned her arm so differently. In some cases, there might appear to be a length difference, but in actuality they're the same length but are positioned differently. However, often there is a difference in size. The way I understand the reasoning behind it is that bone growth is stimulated by muscle movement. The best things you can do are to weight bear and also to help get the arm moving as much as possible. While that helps, I don't know how likely it is that the BP arm will ever "catch up." I'm confident that Nicole's won't. We're at a difficult age (3 yrs old) b/c Nicole often makes comments now indicating her awareness of the size difference. The other day, out of the blue, she said that "righty" can go on the big kid rides, but "lefty" can't b/c lefty is smaller. She often talks about lefty being a baby, etc. We were singing one of our yoga songs in the car and she commented about how her right arm could reach the top of the car, but that her left arm couldn't b/c it's so small, etc. Sorry to go on, but it's very heartbreaking sometimes. Keep the questions coming! I haven't been on the board in a while, so a late "welcome" to you. How old is Danielle?
-Tina

I am currently using Lon Walters for my son's suit. We are scheduled for trial the end of June. Lon is wonderful! Very caring, very knowledgable about BPI cases. He has had articles published in Trial Magazine on BPI lawsuits. His assistant Jennifer is just great. We have been happy with them. Say a little prayer for us June 24th. If you need his numbers or anything let me know. Take care.
Karrie

I too, have a 5 yr. old with a BPI, actually, she'll be 6 in 3 months. At birth she was paralyzed in her right arm and has been going to therapy since she was 2 weeks old. Anyway, I did seek legal assistance but no one would take the case because they didn't know how much she would recover. Basically, they felt that the case wouldn't be profitable to them. Additionally, I was told there was a statue of limitation for me to file a suit, which has long expired, but that she could file when she turns 18. I felt as if I had failed my daughter in a way. I'm so glad that you shared with us, for it gives me hope. In my opinion, doctors should be held accountable for their actions, just like everyone else. I wish you and your child the best.

Shendra