My husband and I waited over 10 years to have a baby.  We had all but given up when after 13 years of marriage; we were blessed with a baby boy, Matthew Jacob.  He was 6 weeks premature and spent the first 32 days in the NICU where they discovered he had brain damage.  At 7 months old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.  After waiting so long for him and praying to God for him; we were not discouraged by the diagnosis.  While he may not be the next Tom Brady or captain of the baseball team; he was perfect because God made him just the way he is.
He is 18 months old now and is in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy all through the Early Steps program.  He isn’t walking, crawling or sitting by himself yet; but not for lack of trying!  He is hands down the hardest working, most determined little guy I’ve ever met.  He is such an inspiration for me when I watch him try to meet every challenge the therapist gives him.
The type of CP he has would really benefit from an intensive physical therapy process called TheraSuit Therapy.  It would help him build core strength and help him learn he can move his left independent of his right and as well as moving his top separate from his bottom!  It would help train his muscles to move correctly and help him from scissoring when walking.
He is the love of my life.  We waited a life time for him and want to give him every possible opportunity to be a little boy whose memories of childhood will be filled with play dates at the park and not memories of confinement in his “special chair”!  God Bless you for any assistance you can give us.
Colleen Eckley, Matthew’s Mom