After a seemingly normal pregnancy, Owen had to be resuscitated just after birth, and was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. An MRI revealed that he had suffered from Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, or brain swelling due to lack of oxygen, which resulted in a non-embolic stroke. He experienced significant brain damage and his prognosis was unclear, but his parents Teresa and Bryan were informed he might not walk, talk or eat on his own.

Once they were finally able to bring him home, Owen began therapy in an outpatient setting. It seemed to be going fine, but Teresa noted that she was always encouraged to watch quietly from a chair at the edge of the room. Prior to her maternity leave, she had worked in home health care and learned about the power of early intervention. “I self-referred to Kindering, and it was the best decision we could have made for our son,” says Teresa.

Teresa and Bryan immediately noticed the difference at Kindering. From the start, Owen’s therapists involved his parents in his motor therapy and gave them tasks to complete throughout the week. Teresa recalls for the first time really feeling like she was part of the team with his treatment. The family took advantage of Kindering’s Baby Steps and Co-op programs, and watched Owen make strides in motor, feeding, and social skills development. Teresa adds, “It also provided crucial support for me as a mom of a non-typically developing child.”

He is now participating in Stepping Stones, Kindering’s inclusive preschool in a mixed-ability setting, and while he has some challenges, he is meeting milestones and is a very talkative, energetic little boy.

“Owen has made progress beyond his neurologists’ expectations, and we owe it all to the amazing resources Kindering has been able to provide to us.”