Ambassador Spotlight: Alyssa

Ambassador Spotlight: Alyssa graphic.

Alyssa Mann defies the odds.

“We were told Alyssa would never walk, talk, eat, sit up or even interact with us,” said Tina Mann, Alyssa’s mother.

Alyssa visited UF Health soon after her first breath. Born extremely preterm at 26 weeks, she weighed just 1 pound, 4 ounces. Her first visit was to the neonatal intensive care unit at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

Due to complications stemming from Alyssa’s early birth, her hearing, speech and muscle movement were affected. Before she was 3 months old, Alyssa had a feeding tube inserted into her abdomen, and her UF Health care team placed a shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid pooling in her brain. She was diagnosed with hearing loss, cerebral palsy, gastric reflux and delayed speech.

“I know in my heart that Alyssa would not be with us today without the care she received over the years at UF Health,” Tina said.

Therapeutic riding also played a pivotal role in Alyssa’s life. Developing a love for horses, she began working with a therapy horse in 2011. After riding on the weekends, Alyssa slowly started to walk again.

“She started walking again first at physical therapy and then at school,” Tina said of Alyssa, who uses a walker for support. “It is a beautiful thing to watch a therapy horse connecting with a person.”

Now 26 years old, Alyssa is still very outgoing and friendly. By communicating verbally and through sign language, she enjoys meeting people and learning their names. This spring, Alyssa took to Sea Hag Marina for the annual Fishing for Kids saltwater trout tournament. She caught three fish and voyaged on her first-ever boat ride!

In March, Alyssa received a new processor for her cochlear implant, which helps provide a sense of sound to a person who is deaf. This fall, Alyssa will have surgery on her eyes to correct double vision.

“We were told she would not make it through her first night,” Tina said. “26 years later and Alyssa is still smiling!”