A Wexford girl who has not been able to walk correctly since she had a stroke in 2004 has come to the U.S. to seek help in her recovery.

Nicole Cahill, a happy go-lucky 10-year-old, met with the Irish Voice recently at her aunt's home in Mahopac, New York where she has been living since July.

Nicole, who comes from Marshalstown, outside Enniscorthy in Wexford, has acute disseminating encephalitis, or in common terms inflammation of the brain causing her muscles to cease. This inhibits her ability to move her limbs correctly.

It was a normal complaint back in October 2004 - a headache - that eventually led to Nicole spending 24 days in a coma. The then six year-old contracted a viral infection that traveled to her brain at a rapid speed, taking away her ability to live like a regular child her own age.

At first doctors thought it was the flu, maybe even meningitis, but it wasn't until Nicole slipped into a coma that they realized the extent of her illness.

While in a coma Nicole's brain swelled, putting pressure on the main artery to the brain, and she suffered a stroke. What followed were weeks of tears, blessings and above all, hope through prayers.

While Nicole suffered numerous seizures, doctors told the Cahills that she would never come out of her "vegetative" state.

"They told us after 10 days it was highly unlikely Nicole would wake up, and if she did she would suffer from brain damage," said Nicole's mother Mairead.

Nicole proved the doctors wrong, though, and 24 days after being in a coma she came around and her brain was perfect.

"We never gave up hope. We just knew she would wake up," Mairead smiled.

"I just remember everything going black," said Nicole as she tucked into a cookie, thinking back on the day she fell ill. "And then I remember the lights around my bed in the hospital at Christmas time in Dublin," she said fondly.

Although she was sad she couldn't spend Christmas at home in Wexford, she said she got "four big bags full of toys from everyone," making her very happy.

Nicole had to spend four months in Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin and a further eight months in a rehabilitation center in Dun Laoghaire, re-learning how to use her limbs again.

Although being in Dublin was extremely difficult on Nicole and her family, moving back to Wexford was when the nightmare really began.

"We were told Nicole was to have physio a few times a week but she was lucky if she got it once every eight weeks," said Mairead angrily. "We got nothing. The services in Wexford are just disgraceful."

Nicole went rapidly downhill upon returning to Wexford. This broke her parents' hearts.

Doctors said the solution was, of all things, Botox. "The Botox was used to freeze her muscles and bring down tremors and spasms," explains Mairead, who is a full time mother.

"This was what it was coming down, to and even at that it wasn't consistent."

Mairead and Bill, Nicole's father, were not willing to settle for the lack of service available to them in their county. They petitioned local politicians and took their daughter's story to the Irish media.

"We kept being told that services were not available because a lot of people were out on maternity leave. Can you believe that?" asked Mairead.

Not only were services being withheld to further Nicole's recovery, the Cahills had to fork out $2,200 for her wheelchair and an additional $400 for each assessment she needed.

"Our house also needs to be modified for Nicole," Mairead explained. They have already had to turn one of their four bedrooms in their one story house into a storage room for Nicole's equipment.

"Not only is there her wheelchair and walkers, there is her bath, lifts, walking frames and lots of other stuff."

While visiting her family last year back in Ireland, Breda Cahill, Bill's twin sister who lives in Mahopac, was "shocked and horrified" to see her niece crawling around on her hands and knees. "It broke my heart," Breda told the Irish Voice in her home last week.

She knew after witnessing Nicole's state and knowing that she wasn't getting adequate care she had to intervene. "I knew that Nicole was still growing so now was the time to do something for her," Breda said.

Cahill immediately thought of New York-based orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jacob Rozbruch. She contacted him upon returning to New York and he agreed to take a look at Nicole's files.

"I asked Mairead to send over Nicole's files, and as soon as I showed them to Dr. Rozbruch he said he could do something for my niece," said Breda.

The files, according to Mairead, lead Rozbruch to believe Nicole was paralyzed. He said they were misleading.

The files indicated the only way forward for Nicole was to have a complete muscle transplant. Rozbruch didn't believe this to be the case at all.

Nicole, who has a smile that would warm up a cold day, is frustrated with her inability to get around freely. Her balance is the main issue.

"She can walk if I hold her," explains Mairead.

Because walking is such a difficulty, to get from one place to another, Nicole finds it faster and easier to crawl. When asked how she prefers to get around, Nicole said it's easier for her to use her wheelchair but that isn't always possible.

Earlier this month, Nicole spent three hours in surgery with Rozbruch at Beth Israel Hospital in New York. Rozbruch worked on lengthening Nicole's calf muscle, which, according to Mairead, could have been prevented if Nicole had received adequate and repeated physical therapy back home.

Rozbruch also told Nicole and her mother that adequate physical therapy was necessary for the Botox injections the little girl was receiving in Ireland to work properly, so in essence they were no good for Nicole's recovery.

Nicole, who arrived in New York on June 24, has been featured in the Irish Times, the Gorey Guardian, the Enniscorthy Guardian and the Carlow Nationalist newspapers and on various talk shows in Ireland.

"We hope out of all this that Nicole will be a catalyst for change in Ireland. She is now seen to be giving hope to those who before were just settling for what they were being told in Ireland," said Breda.

Now that Nicole's surgery is behind her, the real work has to begin. As soon as possible Nicole, who currently has to be carried from room to room due to large incisions in her hip and leg, will undergo rigorous physical therapy that will last at least three months.

Nicole and her mother Mairead are expected to be in New York until at least November. "We really hope that Dr. Rozbruch, can just get her back on her feet and give her that independency again," hopes Nicole's mom.

Although various fundraisers have been held to raise money for Nicole's operation in New York, the costs are still mounting. It is believed that the total cost of Nicole's operation and therapy will rise to nearly $300,000 when everything is completed.

Proceeds from the Wexford Association's dinner dance on September 26 will go directly to Nicole's fund.

To contribute to Nicole's recovery, money can be donated to an Allied Irish Bank account in Enniscorthy titled The Nicole Cahill Fund, number 31951002, sort code 93-34-14.

Alternatively, contact the Wexford Association in New York at 917-833-8296 or www.wexfordassociation.com to donate to Nicole's recovery.

In between recovering from her operation and beginning her therapy, Nicole will spend the remainder of the summer eating cookies and ice cream at her aunt's home. Her father Bill and her sister Debra, 14 and brother William, 8 are coming to visit Nicole and Mairead in September.

"I can't wait to see them," she said, with a sparkle in her eye.