BLEAK HOLIDAYS SAVED BY GENEROSITY OF LOCAL PEOPLE

A tragedy has shown one Cape Girardeau family just how wonderful people can be.

Rhonda Buttelwerth's 11-year-old daughter, Stephanie, contracted viral encephalitis and fell into a coma Oct. 10 and has remained comatose at St. Louis Children's Hospital since then. This happened less than two months after Rhonda moved from San Diego with her three children to live with her mother, Barbara Sexton, in Cape Girardeau and six weeks after she landed a job at Gastroenterology Associates of Southeast Missouri.

The situation, especially around Christmas, would have been bleak, except for the kindness of others, Buttelwerth said in a phone conversation from St. Louis, where she has remained at her daughter's side since the child was transferred there.

"This horrible thing happened to my daughter, but such wonderful things have happened since then," Buttelwerth said.

Her employers at Gastroenterology Associates told her that when Stephanie gets better and comes home, Buttelwerth's job will be waiting for her. Stephanie's teacher, Kathy Shivelbine from Clippard School, has been to visit her in St. Louis twice, bringing her a small Christmas tree. The students and teachers at the school raised money for presents for Stephanie and her family for Christmas. And the remaining items on a wish list, including coats, gloves, pajamas and a few toys, were purchased by the doctors and employees at Gastroenterology Associates, who even got a Santa to volunteer to deliver the goods.

"It's been such a blessing," Buttelwerth said. "It's hard to say thank you in a way that expresses just how grateful we are to everyone."

"We very much connected with Rhonda in the six weeks she worked here," said Robyn Crocetti, office manager at Gastroenterology Associates. "When her daughter got sick, everyone asked what they could do to help."

Stephanie became ill with flu-like symptoms in early October. Doctors thought it was the flu complicated by a bladder infection. She kept getting sicker, and on Oct. 10 she had a seizure, went into a coma and was flown to Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Buttelwerth said.

A viral infection had settled into Stephanie's brain but doctors have not been able to determine what type of virus it was, said Lori Burns, a nurse in the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital. The virus is gone now, Burns said, but the illness left Stephanie unconscious and with uncontrolled muscle spasms.

Buttelwerth said her daughter has begun to open her eyes but they remain unfocused and her body moves constantly unless she is sedated.

Different medications have been tried to stop the movements without sedating Stephanie so much that she can't wake up, Buttelwerth said.

"I'm happy because it looks like Stephanie will stay with us. But it is extremely frustrating because I don't want her to stay the way she is now." said Buttelwerth, who has been living at Children's Hospital in special rooms reserved for parents. This week, however, she is staying at the Ronald McDonald House while her two other children, 10-year-old Tiffany and 8-year-old Donny, who have been staying with their grandmother, visit their mother and sister in St. Louis.

"Tiffany touches, kisses and sings to Stephanie," Buttelwerth said. "I don't think Donny fully comprehends what's going on, though he knows her condition is grave."

Buttelwerth said her daughter is getting better. Stephanie opens her eyes now and will sometimes follow commands. If the involuntary movements can be stopped, Stephanie might be on her way to eventually going home.

"I wish someone would read this and know about another case like it and what they did to help," Buttelwerth said.

Even if the movements can be stopped and Stephanie awakens from the coma, she will need months perhaps years of intensive therapy, Burns said.

Buttelwerth realizes this but her level of patience has increased tremendously since this ordeal began, she said.

"I don't care what we have to do, if she has to relearn to walk, talk, hold a pen," Buttelwerth said. "As long as she can look at me again and know I'm her mom."