Adversity inspires Abby Larson’s career

Opens Honeycomb Speech and Language Therapy

By PHIL MONSON
Nearly 10 years ago, Humboldt’s Abby Larson, the former Abby Wickre, faced a life-threatening accident that shapes who she is today.

The adversity she faced has only strengthened her resolve as she serves others.

Larson recently opened her own business, Honeycomb Speech and Language, PLC, on the top floor of the newly-remodeled Edward Jones building in downtown Humboldt.

“I am enjoying being back to smalltown life and I am thrilled to be able to serve the community I grew up in as I put down roots here with my own family,” Larson said.

She has arrived, but it’s been a long, hard journey.

“In my freshman year of high school, I was in a horse-riding accident where I fell flat on the back of my head. At first the doctors thought it was just a concussion. But after a few weeks of pretty significant symptoms, I went back to the doctors and a doctor here in Humboldt recommended I get an MRI. The scan found that I had a chairi brain malformation,” Larson said.

“With that I had symptoms come up that I hadn’t had before the concussion and so I ended up having brain surgery during my sophomore year of high school,” Larson said.

“In that surgery, they removed part of my skull and first vertebrae. Honestly, I’m very blessed that I was wearing a helmet. A lot of times I would go to the doctor and they would say, ‘this is why you have to wear a helmet.’ I would say to them, ‘I was wearing a helmet,’” Larson said. “They were almost shocked at the severity of the accident. It was a big blessing that I was wearing a helmet and the injury could have been a lot worse.”

“Through that process I ended up seeing a chiropractic neurologist, Dr. Becca Walker at Walker Chiropractic Clinic in Algona. She was amazing. I learned how my brain worked and why it was acting the way it was,” Larson said. “I learned of strategies to help make things better.”

“I had short-term memory loss. Before the accident I had always been a straight-A student and academics came rather easily for me. After that I had to really work hard and push myself to get good grades and that was hard to accept at first,” Larson said.

“I also had a lot of migraine headaches and issues with feelings in my arms and legs. That got better after my surgery. I’m very blessed that I don’t have to deal with that as much anymore,” Larson said. “I still get a migraine once in a while.”

“I just had that one main surgery. Afterwards I credit a lot of my progress to Dr. Rebecca. She was very knowledgeable about what she was doing,” Larson said.

“She had a lot of strategies to help me heal, just as much as the surgery did for me, honestly,” Larson said.

“After that experience, I began to look into different career paths for a career. I didn’t think chiropractic was for me but the neurology aspect interested me,” Larson said. “My mom is a kindergarten teacher. She’s been there my whole life and so I looked up to her and grew up with the school system, so to speak. I found speech therapy as an avenue to pursue for a career.”

Read the story in the August edition of the Humboldt NOW! out now or check it out in this week's issue of the Humboldt Independent!