Caitlin Little.Photo: Maggie Steber
Caitlin Little doesn’t remember her 17th birthday, which was just one week ago. She doesn’t know what gifts she received, that she went out to dinner with her family, and that she made gift bags for the homeless.
That’s because on Oct. 12, 2017 — just eight weeks into her freshman year at Southeast Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina — Caitlin, then 14, collided head-to-head with one of her cross-country teammates at school, and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Diagnosed with anterograde amnesia — an exceptionally rare condition that affects one’s ability to make new memories — Caitlin can still remember everything about her life up to the day of the accident. But after the collision, she can only retainnewmemories for a minute at a time, before her brain “resets” and she forgets everything that just happened.
“At first we thought she had a minor concussion, and so many doctors told her it was just in her head,” says her father, Chris Little, 53. “But it didn’t take long to realize something was seriously wrong.”
Now, over two years later, Chris and his wife Jennifer are on a desperate and heartbreaking crusade to not only find out what’s actually wrong with Caitlin, but to reverse the damage that’s been done — “and get our little girl back.”
Adds Jennifer, 47: “We will never give up on her. We continue to fight for answers, but it’s very frustrating when so many doctors won’t even take on her case.”
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Jennifer and Chris Little with their daughter Caitlin at home in Greensboro, North Carolina.Maggie Steber
One specialist, Dr. Justin Feinstein, Ph.D. — who works with people who have suffered from brain injuries and recently started consulting on Caitlin’s treatment — says “this is a very serious injury.”
Since then the family has sought out specialists around the country, “hoping someone can fix our daughter,” says Jennifer. They’ve already spent their life savings and,while a GoFundMe account has helped, the bills keep mounting.
“We can only do so much now for Caitlin with such limited resources,” says Chris, adding that except for Dr. Feinstein, the family can’t find anyone in the U.S. who will eagerly take on their daughter’s case. “We’re running out of time and money.”
The ordeal has also taken its toll on Caitlin’s siblings —Sarah, 18, Benjamin, 14, and Daniel, 11. “It’s very stressful for them,” says Chris, “and I worry that they feel like they’re left out.”
Today, Caitlin lives her life in complete confusion. She has Post-it Notes scattered throughout their Greensboro home — reminding her of everything from the color of the family’s new van (gray) to the names of their new cats.
They try to keep her room and closet exactly as they were to avoid confusion. “It simplifies all our lives,” says Jennifer. “When people give her a new coat or pair of shoes, she’ll hang it in Sarah’s closet because she thinks it doesn’t belong to her.”
Caitlin pitches in around the house (“She’s always the first one to unload the dishes, empty the trash can, feed the animals,” says Chris, “because these are all things she’s familiar with”) and enjoys family trips to the thrift store or the farmers market.
And during a short trip to Myrtle Beach last month, Caitlin even went running on the beach. “We still see our spunky and smart Caitlin shine through,” says Chris.
Chris and Jennifer have to always be with Caitlin to reassure her that she’s okay — and yet they know that’s far from the truth.
“In the first year I never doubted that Caitlin would get better,” says Chris. “Now I worry about what will happen when we’re no longer around to care for her. I’m horrified that someday she’s going to wake up and look in the mirror — and a 35-year-old woman’s going to look back at her. And she’s going to wonder, ‘What in the world’s going on?’ For her it’ll be like the blink of an eye.”
source: people.com
