An Incredible Journey With Easterseals!

When Journey was born at 28 weeks, her parents, Patrice and Rich, knew they had a journey ahead of them – the inspiration for her name. It was not until Journey was nine months old and had a seizure that they realized their journey would not be the one they expected. When Journey was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder, her parents were concerned about the unknown, but then they found Easterseals and a team of therapists, and knew they were not alone.

“It was terrifying at the beginning, but once we had a diagnosis we hit the ground running to find ways to help her and make her life easier,” Patrice says. “I didn’t think my experience with Easterseals could be so amazing. You can tell the therapists love what they do and it shows in the way they care about the people they work with. They are a part of our family. They help Journey be the best she can be. They help make big goals and help her reach them.”

A trusted provider of children’s therapy services for more than 65 years, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore specializes in treating children ages birth through eighteen years with a variety of challenges. Easterseals specializes in meeting the needs of children and their families through creative, playful activities that go beyond traditional services.

When Journey started receiving therapy services with Easterseals at 11 months, she was working on better head control, sitting up, making more sounds, swallowing, and grasping items.

“We celebrate what she can do. Concentrate on your child and what makes them better. Easterseals therapists help get Journey excited about what she can do,” Patrice says. “It was so wonderful to have people that understand and can point us in the right direction. Easterseals is a godsend. It helps to have people on our side. Easterseals is in our corner.”

Journey is now three and has passed so many milestones with the help of speech, physical and occupational therapies. She is now working on sitting up on her own for longer periods of time, crawling and walking with a walker, which helps her keep up with her brother.

“The doctors told us Journey will probably never walk, move, smile, or laugh; but with Easterseals she’s just meeting goal after goal,” Rich says. “Now, I feel like the sky’s the limit, because they’ve laid a foundation for us. Maybe one day she’ll be walking across the stage getting a diploma. That’s my hope.”

More than 400 children per year receive physical, speech and occupational therapy at the Easterseals Children’s Therapy Center in New Castle. Easterseals plays a critical role in providing needed therapy for children with a variety of disabilities, short or long term. Children with and without disabilities will find the highest quality services designed to meet their individual needs. For more information about Easterseals Children’s Therapy services call 302-324-4444.

Easterseals in New Castle County is located at 61 Corporate Circle, New Castle, DE 19720. Easterseals Kent County center is located at 100 Enterprise Place, Suite 1, Dover, DE 19904.  Please visit our website and see all of our services for people of all ages and abilities: www.de.easterseals.com.