Arizona teacher observed preschooler getting up off the floor and told parents something wasn't right — it changed the boy's life
The power of observation is remarkable. Just a little detail or a slight notice of a difference can be life-changing in many cases. An Arizona pre-school teacher, Twyla Pobuda, noticed her then-student, Hudson, who seemed to have minor differences in his behavior compared to his classmates, per Good News Network. While each child grows at a different pace around that age, the teacher made a keen observation and helped identify an important detail about his health. She quickly informed the parents, who were then able to take action for the better.
The teacher had experience with kids of Hudson’s age, around 3-4 years old, and knew that each child takes their time to learn basic development. However, in Hudson’s case, she realized the preschooler was running slower than the other children of his age. As she continued to observe his behavior, she noted other mild differences. “Hudson would walk up to the classroom with a very large, gated, slow walk, holding his mom’s or grandma’s hand for help,” Pobuda recalled. When she noticed one crucial difference in him while he was getting up off the floor, she knew something wasn’t right.
“When getting up from the floor, sitting, or playing on the grass, he would have to get on all fours and push himself up with both of his hands, sometimes struggling to rotate his hips to a comfortable position to get up. Running was also hard for him to coordinate his muscle strength,” Pobuda carefully noted. She explained the boy had been using the “Gower’s maneuver” to get back up on his feet. This method is not prominent among kids his age. In Gower’s maneuver, people “climb up their thighs with the aid of their hands” due to muscle weakness, per the National Library of Medicine.
Popularized by neurologist Sir William Richard Gowers in 1879, the term was used to describe a method used by people with weaker pelvic areas or lower limbs. Dr. Constantine shared a visual depiction of what it looks like in a YouTube video and noted that the method is due to “lack of hip or thigh muscle strength.” Once the teacher spotted this, she was determined to notify Hudson’s parents and ask whether he had similar struggles at home. The parents quickly took him to a doctor, where he received a diagnosis. Hudson had “Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” a condition that affected his muscles.
It is a progressive condition that impacts the muscles every day. Hudson’s ability to walk would have been drastically changed by middle school if not identified. The parents were able to take the necessary precautions and procedures to ensure minimal damage to Hudson’s muscles, all because they caught the problem early on. The mom credited the teacher for her observation. “Without her, I truly believe Hudson would have gone undiagnosed for a while and we would not have been able to receive early interventions,” she said.
“Since we found out when Hudson was still fairly young, we were able to provide early intervention, which is key to treating Duchenne or he would not be doing as good as he is today,” she added. In 2023, Hudson became one of the first kids in the country to receive “Elevidys”, a gene therapy for his condition. 4 years later, Hudson can enjoy school, receiving treatment and aware of his condition, taking all the necessary precautions. “It takes one voice of concern to make a difference, and each child deserves that,” Hudson’s mom remarked.