A blessing from Fanwood

We have so many amazing employees to spotlight that it’s usually hard to pick which example to share each month! Today I wanted to share a parent’s email about Rachel De Lara (Service Coordinator, Case Management – Fanwood Plaza) and the Early Intervention Program as a whole.

“This email is to express my sincere gratitude for the excellent service my family has received through Early Intervention, all coordinated by Rachel De Lara. Having Rachel as our son’s case manager has been both a pleasure and a blessing. He will be turning 3 years this weekend and ageing out of the program. I cannot let this time pass without expressing how pleased we were not only with our case manager assignment, but with our therapists and the program itself.

Working with Rachel was both a gift and a blessing. She was very approachable and performed well above and beyond her responsibilities. She went out of her way to accommodate my needs as a working parent, responded to all inquiries with equal attention, and far exceeded my hopes and expectations as our case manager. Her dedication to what she does truly shows in her work, with excellent attention to detail, and professionalism from start to finish.”

This parent even went on to tell us how the Early Intervention Program has improved since her other child had been in the program!

“Our older son also came through Early Intervention in 2008-2009. Our recent experience with the program from then to the current program now, is truly night and day. I have to say the therapists provided for both of my boys were very good; the dramatic difference was in the case coordination. And it made every difference!

The changes made to EI since our first experience are very apparent in terms of increased and better communication, responsiveness to parent requests, qualifications of the coordinator, and the level of service provided. So I must congratulate you on both the very pronounced strides of improvement that have evolved within the program, as well as retaining a case manager like Rachel, with superior communication, organization, and interpersonal skills that were consistently demonstrated.”

Not only does this show how valued Rachel proved to be for this family, but the Early Intervention Program as a whole has proven to be so crucial in helping this family and other families in their services.

Our kids have different abilities, not disabilities.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to the kids that we serve is showing them that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. With a little hard work and some motivation from their loved ones, the sky is really the limit.

So when I got word that one of our patients, Ali Stroker, was making headlines on BROADWAY with her acting and singing I couldn’t wait to share the news with you all! She is staring in the Deaf West Theater production of Spring Awakening.

Ali is paralyzed from the chest down from a car accident when she was 2 years of age. She came to us for therapy and has been a shining star in her wheelchair ever since. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her goals.

 

Here is Nichole Turmelle and her daughter, Zee, with Ali.

She has appeared on TV in “Glee,” “The Glee Project,” and onstage in “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Paper Mill Playhouse – just to name a few of her projects.

So, let’s tie this back to us and why I wanted to share this with you guys. Our kids sometimes need a little extra boost of confidence to tackle that hurdle during their therapy sessions. And each one of you help to give that to them, encouraging them to push harder and give it all they can.

The holiday season is a time for us all to think back on our blessings throughout the year and show thanks. So as we enter this holiday season, I want you all to know that its stories like this – about our kids and how well they are growing after they’ve left us – that make me thankful to work alongside each of you.

You do amazing things here at Children’s Specialized Hospital. You help our patients reach their wildest dreams.

And like Ali shared in the article written about her, our kids don’t have disabilities – they have different abilities.