Music proves magic for Michigan girl fighting brain infection

You can’t keep 7-year-old Bella Lata from music - even in the hospital.

 

“Dance Party.” That’s what Bella would repeatedly ask for, her grandmother Michelle Lata said. When the music came on Bella, her two brothers and cousin would dance around the living room excitedly.

 

“That’s what she really missed. She loves music,” her grandmother said.

 

On May 31, Lata said Bella came home sick from school. When she went to wake her up from a nap, she said she immediately knew something was wrong when she saw her eyes. Bella was unable to stand up.

 

After spending almost 18 hours at the emergency room in Manistee, Bella was transported by an ambulance to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, where she was diagnosed with encephalitis.

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"I didn’t leave her side,” Lata said. “When I ran out to have a cigarette I literally ran down and rushed back up because I didn’t want to take a chance if something happened, and I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

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In June, Bella was transferred to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, where music therapy was part of her treatment.

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Dr. Marianne Mousigian, a pediatric rehabilitation physician at Mary Free Bed, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press that encephalitis is the inflammation of the brain.

 

“I think the biggest thing is that she had an extensive work up and that we really did not identify a definitive infectious or autoimmune cause,” Mousigian said, about the encephalitis diagnosis. “She was treated with this presumed diagnosis and she did end up having a good response.”

 

Mousigian said if doctors have a “high suspicion” for problems that aren’t showing up, the patient gets a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), which can show things in greater detail.

 

When Bella arrived at Mary Free Bed, Lata said she was struggling to sit up and hold her head up. Cara Hudson, a physical therapist at Mary Free Bed, worked with Bella on this after her initial assessment.

 

“You never really can have a full picture of what is going to click with a kid [during recovery], and that’s what taught me so much with Bella,” Hudson said. “She’s this sweet unassuming seven year old who actually has the biggest drive.”

 

Hudson said Bella started out in a wheelchair with a headrest and trunk support that could tilt back if she started to lean too far forward. Gradually, she was able to move her head and hold herself up to help with balance, so that she could start to learn how to walk again.

 

Bella would receive multiple types of therapy during her hospital stay including music and speech therapy along with physical therapy.

 

Given her love of music, she responded well to music therapy.

 

“For rehabilitation, that’s directed at what are the actual problems that someone has from this inflammatory issue. Being able to tailor a rehabilitation course for her specific concerns is ultimately the role of inpatient rehab,” Mousigian said.

 

She often walked up and down the hallways of Mary Free Bed singing, following music therapist Bailey Schultz, who played songs like “Let It Go” from the Disney movie Frozen. A metronome played in the background to help with the cadence of Bella’s walk.

 

This wasn’t surprising to her grandmother who was more than familiar with Bella’s love for music. After seeing Bella laughing and acting her age again, Lata said she felt relief.

 

On Aug. 3, Lata’s eyes filled with tears as Bella walked down the hallway without her walker for the first time since being admitted.

 

Mary Free Bed determined Bella could go home after a meeting with therapists, social workers, psychologists and others agreeing that she was ready to go home, according to physical therapist Cara Hudson.

 

Lata and her grandchildren, Bella, Mason and Miles all share a bedroom in Michelle’s daughter’s house in Manistee. Michelle became her grandchildren’s legal guardian in February 2022.

 

Lata joined a group for grandparents who legally adopted or have guardianship of their grandkids when she got home with Bella from Mary Free Bed.

 

The recovery hasn’t been easy for either Bella or her grandmother. Bella often gets frustrated when her legs give out or she’s placing stickers and her hands stop working.

 

“Why can’t I do anything,” Bella cried in front of Lata.

 

Lata is learning to balance three kids amidst Bella’s condition. Bella’s youngest brother Miles, 3, gets frustrated when Bella gets more attention than him, but sometimes Lata says she has no choice. Her older brother Mason, 9, is protective over Bella and gets mad at Michelle when she has to discipline Bella.

 

Lata still doesn’t have answers for what caused Bella’s encephalitis, but she’s hopeful for a full recovery and doesn’t take any of their days together for granted.

 

She said Bella has always loved school. Last month, Lata was encouraged about her recovery because she was able to start second grade at Jefferson Elementary School in Manistee.

 

Isabella Rankin, Bella’s teacher, said she was surprised at how independent she was in terms of her ability to move around the classroom. .

 

Bella works with a speech therapist and gets one-on-one support with reading and writing as she continues to recover.

 

Lata said she hasn’t been able to work since Bell became ill. She hopes to receive some support from a GoFundMe page set up by her niece. As of Wednesday, Nov. 22, $3,275 had been raised towards a goal of $15,000.​

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