Easterseals – a Program for Every Stage of Life

Easterseals was there for Spencer Kane, of Seaford, DE, when he was born prematurely and needed help meeting his early milestones. They were there again when he needed physical therapy after his surgery as a teenager. When he graduated from high school, Easterseals stepped in once again to guarantee Spencer’s needs were met with Personal Attendant Services (PAS). Easterseals is there for a lifetime and the Kane family is forever grateful.

“Easterseals has so many programs. There is more to Easterseals than meets the eye. Everyone at Easterseals is kind and supportive,” Sarah, Spencer's mom says. 

“PAS is a godsend. It’s great to have a break so we can breathe.”

The PAS program allows people with disabilities to choose and hire their own personal attendant and perform duties based on individual needs. Specific examples may include help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and other duties that help the individual maintain an independent lifestyle. While the person with the disability is the employer, Easterseals staff helps with the selection, hiring and training of the attendant and assists with onboarding and payroll.

Typically, Spencer, who has Cerebral Palsy, has a caregiver who takes care of his needs in the afternoons so Sarah can go to doctor appointments, go grocery shopping, and other errands. However, the caregiver shortage has made it more challenging to find someone to fill this role. Currently, Sarah is getting paid to care for Spencer full time, which is a huge benefit to their family.

“Financially it would be difficult. Although I consider myself lucky to be able to care for him thanks to the PAS program, not being able to find help is hard,” says Sarah.

When Spencer was born, doctors discovered he had experienced something akin to an adult stroke during or shortly after birth. They predicted he would never walk, talk, or feed himself. Spencer proved them wrong, however, and made great progress with the help of Easterseals Children’s Therapies Services, which included Occupational, Speech, and Physical therapies along with Early Childhood Education services.

“Everything about the kids is a miracle. I was given Spencer. He is a blessing to me,” Sarah says. “They say they are kids with special needs and they are special. There’s no other kid like him in the world. He’s so special and it doesn’t have anything to do with his disability.”