Kevin's Healing Journey: December 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Merry Christmas & Blessings for the New Year

In 20-ELEVEN

KEVIN turned SEVEN and was a little slice of HEAVEN

Kevin has delighted us with his charm, toothless smiles, and chuckles this year. We each found a way to have a little playtime this year. Jon played in a golf league, Karen discovered a passion for yoga, and Kevin loves anything Thomas the Train. We also took advantage of the extra freedom this year and did some traveling, while Kevin got to spend extra special time with both Grandparents this year. In May, Jon and Karen went to Las Vegas. In July, we all met the Golembiewski's for a family vacation at Salt Fork State Park. We cheered the Steelers on in their first home game this season. In October, Jon and Karen spent a weekend in Hocking Hills to celebrate meeting each other 20 years ago as freshman, Homecoming Weekend at Ohio University. And I guess you could count our six trips to Philly/NJ this year as well.

We hope this year has been good to you too!

All I want is my two front teeth

My Blog

This blog was created to keep our family and friends updated on Kevin's healing journey. It is also our hope that others may find this blog to give help and hope to other delayed kids.

About Kevin

They told us Kevin would never walk or talk. But with lots of prayers, hard work, and extra hands, he began walking when he was four years old and we continue to have faith and hope as we wait patiently for his speech to develop. Kevin is now eight years old. He is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy due to a brain-injury he had before birth that was caused by a stroke. In 2006, before Kevin was 2 years old, we found Glenn Doman’s book "What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child" that had answers to help children with special needs and developmental delays. We began an individualized home treatment program for Kevin immediately and have been dedicated to our program ever since. We spent three years with the Doman family at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) and now we are with Matthew and Carol Newell at The Family Hope Center (FHC). Twice a year we return to Philadelphia where Kevin receives a neurological evaluation to determine the progress he has made in the last six months. Then they provide us with an individualized, program that puts me in charge to help Kevin develop and reach his fullest potential.

Do You Know a Delayed Child?

The best recommendation we can give to another parent with a special needs or developmentally delayed child (brain-injured, brain-damaged, mentally retarded, mentally deficient, cerebral-palsied, epileptic, autistic, athetoid, hyperactive, attention deficit disordered, developmentally delayed, or down's) is to read Glenn Doman's book What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child and/or Dr. Coralee Thompson and Dr. Philip Maffetone's book Healthy Brains, Healthy Children. By simply reading these books, you will gain valuable information to help your child which will begin to unlock the potential your child has. And best of all you will learn that there are other options to helping your child that you can do yourself. We would also highly recommend attending the parent course at FHC or IAHP. To read how our journey began and the successful progress Kevin has had refer to the January 2010 blog archive.