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John Suggs is counting down the days until his 12-day adventure at Easterseals Camp Fairlee, and it is not hard to see why. For John, who is visually impaired and has Cerebral Palsy, camp means independence, new experiences, and friendship. For his parents, Lisa Dornell and Robert Suggs, it means a break from caregiving.

When two-year-old Penelope “Penny” Pratz, of Wilmington, DE, started receiving Easterseals Children’s Therapy services, she was unable to stand on her own or walk. Her parents, Alexandra and Scott, were worried she may never walk, but they put their trust in Easterseals, and that made all the difference.

In an instant, Mike and Virginia Minor’s lives changed forever. One minute they were enjoying time with family and, in what felt like the next minute, Virginia was in the hospital. She had experienced a stroke and then cardiac arrest. Gone was their old lifestyle. Mike was suddenly thrust into the role of caregiving, which can be very overwhelming and lonely. Thankfully, he found a group of people walking the same path with an Easterseals Caregiver Support group.

Tina was reluctant to leave her youngest son, Kyle, for the first time at Easterseals Camp Fairlee. Thanks to some gentle nudging from her daughter-in-law, she was finally persuaded to give it a chance. All that worry went away as soon as she opened the car door and saw Kyle’s smiling face.

When Stella was born 10 weeks early, Amanda saw in her daughter a determination that carried her through many complications and eight weeks in the NICU. Between three and six months, Amanda and Jim, Stella’s parents, noticed Stella was not using her left arm and leg. They were shocked to learn she had had a stroke after birth. Wanting the best outcome for their daughter, they sought out Easterseals Children’s Therapy services.

When Dominick David, of Newark, is in his Easterseals day program for adults with intellectual disabilities, his mom, Lynne, knows he is engaged in activities, forming relationship bonds and staying connected to his community.

There is nothing better than being in a room full of friends and familiar faces – even if it is a virtual room. Although Easterseals adult day programs reopened in the fall, many of the participants have not been able to return due to health factors. However, Easterseals Direct Support Professionals have not let that stop them from connecting through virtual platforms with participants like Toni Parago.

The recent ribbon-cutting for the new Easterseals day program in Smyrna brought together many families and local and state officials in support of the services being offered there for seniors and adults with physical disabilities.

An indispensable resource for the region, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is celebrating 75 years of creating an inclusive community for local children and adults with disabilities, seniors, and their families. Though early services focused solely on children’s therapy services, Easterseals has expanded over the years to meet the needs of adults with disabilities and seniors through innovative services to ensure they have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Each camper that attends Easterseals Camp Fairlee becomes a part of the Fairlee family, but some members have been a part of the family for a lot longer. Jamal, who has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, looks forward to coming to camp each year and has been coming for 26 years. Starting at the age of 6, Jamal has made his mark on the camp well into his adulthood and enjoys every minute of his experience.