UT Health, At the Bedside: Kindergartener with cerebral palsy walks years after pioneering brain imaging device

Written By Aisha Christa Atkinson

Today, as Aisha Atkinson sees her smiling 5-year-old son Aries walking independently, humming the melodies of his favorite pop songs, she is proud of how far her son has come since he entered the world with two massive brain bleeds that developed into hydrocephalus and, consequently, cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects mobility and posture.

Born in November 2017 at 23 weeks gestation, Aries weighed just 1 pound, 11 ounces — small enough to fit into the palm of a hand. Manish N. Shah, MD, associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery and William J. Devane Distinguished Professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, performed three surgeries at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital to help drain the life-threatening buildup of fluid in Aries’ brain that had developed during birth.

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Aisha Christa Atkinson

Aisha Christa Atkinson is an award-winning instructional leader, education scholar, and writer whose work centers on inclusive leadership, literacy development, and the design of supportive school communities. She serves as Assistant Principal at Stafford Early Childhood Center in Texas and was named Stafford MSD District Professional of the Year (2025) and the 71st Texas Mother of the Year by American Mothers, Inc. (2023). Her writing has appeared in Education Week, Edutopia, Texas Voices, Teacher2Teacher, and Advocate for Me Magazine, where she examines instructional leadership, differentiated instruction, and systems that cultivate belonging. Aisha holds advanced degrees in Educational Administration and English Education and writes at the intersection of practice, policy, and purpose.

https://www.aishacatkinson.com
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