How the Oak Knoll community wrapped its arms around one of its students

Here’s your “feel good Wednesday” post for March!

Seven-year-old Emma Houlihan, a student at Oak Knoll School,  came down with Strep twice in February, and then fractured her arm while taking a ski lesson at Palisades during ski week.

“She was incredibly positive and calm through the whole ordeal, as always,” recalls her mother, Bonnie.

However a little over a week after the accident, Emma woke up in the middle of the night screaming with intense pain in her hip. Without warning, she couldn’t walk. What ensued was a long stay in the ER, seemingly never ending blood tests, trips to orthopedic offices and her pediatrician. She returned to school about nine days later in a wheelchair.

“Her last day in it, we hope, was this past Friday March 15,” says Bonnie.

“As it turns out, what she has is called transient synovitis and it can come on after a viral infection as minimal as a cold (in her case, Strep). It may also have been triggered by her injury. The interesting thing is that in the past few days we’ve now met a few parents whose own child, or a child they know, has experienced something similar in the past month.

“The silver lining to our experience was how her school, Oak Knoll, came to her rescue. The day she got her wheelchair (a very hard day for our family as you can imagine), the kids in her class sent her jokes, messages, drawings, and even performed and sang for her to lift her spirits. And it worked! We got to see her transition from sad to happy as the messages came to her via her class’ share site throughout the day.

“When she returned to school the kids at school were so incredibly understanding and supportive — no coaching needed. It’s a testament to how well the school, and community, is doing at raising children who are accepting and kind.

“It’s been a long road, and it’s certainly an experience none of us will ever forget. But, there have been a lot of positives to come out of it, and we are very grateful to Oak Knoll — and our community here in Menlo Park.”

Commented Oak Knoll principal Alicia Payton-Miyazaki: “We love Emma, and it goes back to one of our foundational school principles which is that we make school work for kids. We always intentionally hold that the children are miraculous, creative, wonderful, and whole, and we work to support them at school. Our staff is so committed and dedicated to each child, that makes the world of difference!”

Editor’s note: Do you have a “feel good story” to contribute? Send to tips@inmenlo.com

Photo of Emma returning to Oak Knoll