Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley

Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley


CHARITY STORY
Jayden: Giving it His All
Photo Caption
Jayden sitting on the couch holding a guitar and smiling
Photo Credit
Jacob Weber

Nearly everyone will experience disability at some point in their life. For many children at Easterseals, this experience occurs in their most formative years. Jayden’s experience started four months before his scheduled due date. Born prematurely at 1 lb. 10 oz., he spent 110 days in the hospital and was given less than a 50% chance of survival. He beat the odds. Now at age six, cerebral palsy impacts his ability sit, stand, walk and speak. Jayden aged out of the state's Early Intervention program at the height of the pandemic and it left him with a gap in therapies. Since starting at occupational and physical therapy at Easterseals, his posture, muscle tone and balance improved, and his family found the support they were missing.

Thousands of children across our communities depend on Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley for the pediatric therapies that are crucial to their development, yet private insurance falls short and Medicaid leaves few options for families in need. Your generosity is a commitment to a future where every child is 100% included and 100% empowered.


CHARITY VIDEO
Empowering Children with Disabilities and Their Families
Transcript

Joanne, Physical Therapist:
My favorite thing about my job is to work with a parent and their child and really help them, establish what the possibilities are and what the expectations will be. It’s not a one-day thing. It's a path, a process, a journey and it's very important for a child to start early in therapy for many reasons. One is that the coaching and the education that we provide the family then helps them carry over to their day-to-day life – how they should change their diaper, how they can set up play, how they can carry their child in order to help give them the best foundational strength in order for the child to grow and be ready for the next step in life.

Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley
CFC Number
95487

Charity Type

Cause Area