-LAST UPDATED MAY 8, 2012

Ryan lives in Wainfleet.  He was born 10 weeks prematurely.  His mother calls the Children’s Centre a godsend.  At 2 1/2 he could not crawl and barely had the strength to stand up.  Ryan enrolled in the Centre’s physiotherapy program and by the end of the year he could walk upright with the assistance of a walker.  Ryan’s mother still recalls the expression on his face, a gigantic smile, when he walked down the Centre’s hallway for the very first time.  Ryan is a great testimonial ambassador for the NPCC and will be attending his first year of high school this September.

Drew is 6 and lives in Niagara Falls.  He was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth.  A very lovable, happy little guy who wakes up everyday to try his very best at conquering a new skill.  Skills we take for granted… Drew sat up at 10 months and walked at 27 months. At age 6 new words are coming every day and he relies less on sign language to communicate.  It takes a village to raise a child. NPCC is that village and we are so grateful that Drew has had the opportunity to have this early intervention. Our children require this support and thrive in this inclusive environment where all efforts and achievements are celebrated.

Rachel and Janneke (“Yanika”) are sisters, and they are unable to suck and swallow, walk, roll, or talk. Though they do not have “normal” abilities, they do have the Children’s Centre!  The therapy teams at NPCC have helped five year old Rachel strengthen her legs to bear weight in a standing frame, and during the first three years of her life, Rachel received careful and intentional physiotherapy.  Janneke is now two years old, and she has benefited from wonderful care at NPCC in these first two years.  Janneke has received physio and occupational therapy to help her muscles strengthen, and she has learned to use her hands for the fine motor skill of touching.  The last six months have been particularly rewarding for Rachel and Janneke.  Rachel attends the preschool therapy program, and she has developed a babble sound that she incorporates with lots of smiles for the other small children.  Though she is often in her wheelchair, she participates with her eyes and her facial expressions.  Janneke has been able to bear weight through her legs with the use of a Pacer, a walker-frame that allows her to move on her feet.  Without the NPCC team, our girls would be unable to experience these accomplishments, and we would feel very much alone as a family.

Our daughter Katelyn was diagnosed at the age of 19 months with a very rare chromosome abnormality called TETRASOMY 18P. We really didn’t know much about it (and still really don’t) but we were told that she would probably have some developmental delays. We were fortunate enough to have been referred to the Niagara Peninsula Children’s Centre for some early interventions when she was about 8 months old because she was not reaching the milestones of other children at the same age.  When she was diagnosed, we had so much support from our team at NPCC.  Katelyn was accepted into the IPRP program at the Children’s Centre at the age of 2 ½, where she continued to get support in all her areas of need. She made many new friends and absolutely loved her team of teachers. We saw a lot of growth in Katelyn over that year due to all the hard work and dedication of the team. She then moved into a daycare where she was assigned to another team of therapists and they continued to work with her at NPCC as well as going to her daycare and working with the staff there.  We are very pleased with all the teams that have worked with Katelyn and with the progress she has made these past two years in the early learning program at NPCC.  We are delighted to announce that this September Katelyn will be transitioned into the regular school system.  We truly believe that Katelyn would not have progressed as much as she has without the support of the staff at NPCC!

We really don’t know what the future holds for Katelyn as she is 1 of only 100 cases ever diagnosed worldwide, but we know she is in good hands with the staff at NPCC. They treat these children like they are their own. People always say “miracles never happen” but spend a day at the centre and you will see miracles happen everyday. Most people do not realize how lucky we are to have a facility like NPCC in our city, with a staff so dedicated to our children. But WE do and we know how important it is to keep the centre up and running.

Jessica is 12 years old and lives in Welland. When she was about 1 ½ years old, she was suffering seizures and was diagnosed with Angleman’s Syndrome, a rare disorder which results in physical and mental challenges. Jessica was unable to walk when first referred to the Children’s Centre, and after starting therapy she made remarkable strides. She is now able to walk, having eventually learned a skill that we often take for granted. Jessica’s mother says if it were not for the Children’s Centre, Jessica would not be walking today.