Despite Brain Injury, 5-Year-Old Loves T.C. Bear & Defying Odds

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Brain injuries are the leading cause of death in children, but a St. Joseph boy is defying the odds after a brain injury he suffered when he was just 19 days old.

Most 5-year-olds need some time to warm up to a TV camera. But within five minutes of meeting Andre Robinson, we learned he loves Spiderman and his favorite Minnesota Twins player isn't really a player at all -- it's T.C. Bear.

When Andre was less than three weeks old his father dropped him after slipping and falling on the stairs.

"They estimate the drop was about 13 feet in projection from the bottom of the steps to where he landed," said Andre's mom, Kim Notsch.

Doctors struggled to get the bleeding to stop in his brain, and Andre spent four days in a coma.

"They didn't have high hopes for him, thinking he'd never walk or talk again," Notsch said.
But that's when Andre began proving people wrong.

He was supposed to spend up to four weeks in the hospital, but went home after just seven days.

Since then it has been milestone after milestone, or, as his mom says, celebration after celebration.

"Everything is a celebration with him. People think it's silly. He walked. Yeah, well, they didn't think he would ever walk," Kim said.

Andre started kindergarten last fall, only knowing how to write the letter A. Now he can spell his name and is doing basic math and reading.

The only visible disability is his left hand. But with therapy, he may be able to fully use it one day.

In September, Andre was part of a walk put on by the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance. A case worker who hadn't seen him since he was a baby, recognized his name.

"She said she remembers him and she couldn't believe he's still alive. She had tears like I have right now. She just couldn't believe how awesome he is doing," Notsch said.

And that's what Andre is all about.

"To see how far he's come is absolutely amazing. All the people we've met along the way is incredible," Notsch said.

She said he will be able to play tee ball this summer.

For more information on Andre's progress, click here.