Making it happen
Cerebral palsy pushes family to find new options for outdoor activities
I
BY SAVANNA SIMMONS
n her 24 years of life thus far, Kenzi Burnside has led an adventure-filled life, from snow skiing annually the past 11 years to showing horses at the Pinto World Championships to fishing regularly with her dad and brother Thor and competing in marathons. All of this she did from her wheelchair or boosted onto a horse’s back.
muscle control. Fortunately, with Kenzi’s cerebral palsy, her mind is unaffected by her condition. Her muscles are another story.
“Kenzi was born with cerebral palsy. She is full of life,” said her dad, Mike Burnside. “I’ve always said for somebody who, in my opinion, has every right to be mad at life, she has just embraced life and loves everything about it.”
Kenzi has had several hip surgeries due to “scissoring,” in which the inside muscles of her legs cause one leg to cross in front of the other.
Throughout her life, Kenzi has undergone several major surgeries to fix tensions caused by her lack of 34
OPEN SEASON 2020
“At some point before, during, or after childbirth, that part of the brain that controls muscles doesn’t get oxygen, and it can be to varying degrees, Mike said. “Kenzi is classified as moderate to severe. She can’t walk or do any fine motor skills.”
“That eventually pulled that hip bone out of socket, so they ended up having to go in and cut that ball socket off the end of her femur and reattach it at a different angle and put it back in the socket,” Mike said.
TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS | FARMER & RANCHER EXCHANGE
