Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
At just five years old, Amara Pulling, a Holtville Elementary school student from Wetumpka, is already showing a remarkable mix of strength, creativity, and determination. Born with cerebral palsy (CP), she spends her days making colorful pens and handmade crafts — not only because she loves it, but to help fund her ongoing medical care, including surgeries, physical therapy, and specialized mobility equipment.
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects movement and posture, often caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage before or during birth. For Amara, the challenges began early. She was born three months pre-mature and spent an extended period in the neonatal intensive care unit. Before she was released, doctors performed a brain scan that revealed black spots — areas that had not received enough oxygen and were no longer functioning.
“At first, doctors were hopeful that Amara’s brain might form new pathways as she grew,” said her mother, Angela Bleckley. “But they also warned us that might not be the case.”
Shortly after her second birthday, Amara was officially diagnosed with CP. Soon after, doctors suggested a possible treatment — a selective dorsal rhizotomy, a complex spinal surgery designed to reduce involuntary muscle contractions in the lower limbs by cutting two-thirds of the nerves in the spine.
“None of us were on board with the surgery at first because it sounded really scary,” Bleckley recalled. “But it would possibly give her more mobility later on down the line, helping her get in and out of her chair.”
Eventually, the family made the difficult decision to move forward with the surgery scheduled for April. In the months leading up to the procedure, with encouragement from her doctor to strengthen her fine motor skills, Amara began creating and selling ink pens to help raise funds.
“My favorite part about making pens is picking out the characters and colors,” said Amara.
Recovery, however, proved far tougher than the family expected. For the first 24 hours after surgery, Amara had to remain completely flat. When she could finally sit up, she tolerated only minutes at a time. Daily physical therapy consumed hours each day. Then came an unexpected setback — a serious MRSA infection that kept her in the hospital for nearly two months.
“The hardest part was the slide they made me do in physical therapy,” said Amara. “I also did not like all the pokes (shots).”
The surgery also temporarily reduced her muscle tone, causing her mobility to regress. Amara has had to relearn almost everything — from sitting upright to moving her legs again.
Since returning home, she now travels to physical therapy nearly every day, often 40 minutes to an hour and a half from Wetumpka. Accessibility has become one of the family’s biggest challenges. The ramp at their rental home is unsafe, and their car is unreliable and barely large enough to fit her wheelchair.
To continue Amara’s progress, the family is raising funds for accessible home modifications, reliable transportation, and ongoing travel expenses for therapy. Their efforts center around Amara’s Ink Sprinkles — a growing collection of handmade crafts that Amara helps create to support her healing journey.
“I make keychains, badge reels, and bracelets,” said Amara. “Pink is my favorite color, but I make all colors.”
For more information or to purchase an item in time for Christmas, visit her Facebook page or email [email protected].
