Easterseals is a Support Team for the Entire Family in Time of Need

Having a baby is exciting, but it can also be scary when paired with a life-threatening diagnosis. Ofelia and Mario were excited to welcome the addition of a daughter to their family when at four months gestation they discovered there was no amniotic fluid in her womb. That knowledge combined with several diagnoses, including two rare chromosomal disorders, would be intimidating to anyone, but Ofelia took it all in stride as the couple began a different kind of journey than expected with their daughter.

“When I received the diagnosis, I was resigned to handle whatever may come,” Ofelia says. “I think the world of the therapists at Easterseals. I have no words to express how I feel. They provided therapy to my daughter, but also emotional support for our family. Easterseals has done a great job with Luz. I highly recommend that other parents contact them.”

It is stories like that of Luz that touch the hearts of the highly skilled clinicians at Easterseals. They were able to work with Luz and help her master skills like sitting up, moving around, playing with toys, and using a walker to get around.   

“I will never forget that my first visit with Luz was on her first birthday and her parents were so pleased that she was able to celebrate that day as the doctors had originally told them that she would be fortunate to survive for 6 months,” Tina, Child Development Specialists, says. “Having the opportunity to work with children in a variety of environments, working with the family as a whole, and embracing a variety of cultural differences are just a few of the reasons that I absolutely love my career at Easterseals.”

Luz received speech, occupational and physical therapies at Easterseals to help her master a number of skills. Her next goal is to eat food by mouth rather than a feeding tube, something everyone is confident she will accomplish.

“It was a delight to work with Luz and her family and it is such a relief to see her staying well and continuing to learn and grow,” Lauren, Physical Therapist, says. “Despite all the odds Luz continues to surprise the people who work with her and it is these treasured moments that make working for Easterseals one of the best jobs on the planet!”