Now Gary is in the gifted and talented program
Making a difference in a young mother and her children's life
Diane's journey with cancer
Doctors gave Katia little chance to live. She's now 5 years old!!!

Now Gary is in the gifted and talented program

ABC has been working with a 6-year-old boy named Gary diagnosed with ADHD and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was so violent in the classroom last year that he had to be removed almost daily and have one-on-one tutoring. His behaviors included biting, hitting, spitting, cursing and throwing furniture. He was also having constant nightmares and literally tore apart most of the furniture in his family's home.

ABC worked with Gary along side his mother, providing counseling and school advocacy to ensure he received the most appropriate interventions. Through our education and encouragement, his mother became empowered and informed regarding his needs. She is now his strongest advocate.

8 months later, Gary has stopped having nightmares, and is very social and popular with classmates and teachers at his new school. His schoolwork has improved so much that he will be advancing a grade and beginning the gifted and talented program.

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Making a difference in a young mother and her children's life

My earlier childhood had a lot of domestic violence between my parents. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was a workaholic. So basically I would spend most of my time being imaginative or just being alone. I would spend most of my time wrapped up in my schoolwork. Later my parents ended up divorcing. At 13 years of age I was sent to live somewhere else. My mother had a new boyfriend who didn’t want me around. To make a long story short, I told someone about what he had done to me and so I was sent to live with an aunt.

I was dropped off at my aunt’s house without her knowing or even being there. Even though we didn’t disagree much, I never felt at home. It was very hard to continue school with the emotional roller coaster that had just started - no one to confide in, no one I trusted; no one that seemed to care. How I wished I could express my feelings to someone without hearing a condescending speech. I just wanted to be able to talk. I wanted to be able to cry. I wanted to be able to release the feelings that were building up inside of me.

Eventually I turned to boys and breaking rules. Boys gave me what I thought was love and breaking rules gave me the attention I felt I needed. I didn’t feel so alone anymore during those times. Before long I was pregnant at 14 years old. When I found out, it felt as though my life was like car brakes screeching to a halt. I was confused and afraid. There I was again, wishing that there was someone I could confide in, someone who cared.

To be honest, I don’t remember how I got connected with a Prenatal Educator Volunteer from Any Baby Can. I blocked a lot of things from life at that time. What I do remember is a blonde haired lady coming to my aunt’s house. I remember that she seemed interested in my feelings and my situation. She was not condescending. She seemed sincere about helping me.

For the first visit or two it was hard to let down my emotional walls. There had been a lot of heartaches and disappointments in my life by then. I was afraid to trust someone who might let me down. Although, it did feel good to know that someone cared enough to come and visit me. After her visits I always wondered if she would actually come back. Each time she returned I felt the reassurance that she really cared. I felt the security that she was sincere.

Sometimes she brought me diapers and baby clothes. A lot of times she’d leave information packets. I liked looking at the packets when I was alone. There was no one to ask the types of questions those packets helped to answer. It was comforting to know that the changes in my body were expected. I wasn’t alone and there was nothing wrong with me. It was fun learning the stages of my baby’s growth. I’m glad to have had her in my life especially at a time when I needed someone who cared. Knowing someone cared about me gave me a sense of confidence. That confidence helped me to be the woman I am today.

That baby is a 6th grader now. I am happily married and have a bigger family now. I work full time and will be a part-time student at a local community college this fall. I don’t want to say that my life was picture perfect after having had a Prenatal Educator Volunteer in my life. But I will say that because of her I know that there are people in this world that do care. I have a busy life with a husband and four children. My oldest daughter has pep-squad practice 3 days a week. My 7 year old has T-ball 2 days a week. And my 1 and 2 year old babies, well they’re babies! But because of having had a Prenatal Educator in my life, no matter how busy my life is, I am adamant about devoting time to giving someone what was once given to me. I want to make a difference in someone’s life. I want to be the person that someone has memories of when they remember people that made a difference in their lives. So now, I’m a PEP Prenatal Educator Volunteer – It feels so good to be able to give back.

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Diane's journey with cancer

15 year old Diane is healthy, active, and athletic.  Suddenly she begins having symptoms of weakness, fever, and lethargy.  She goes to one doctor who tells her she has a "bug" and instructs her to rest.  Symptoms get worse and she is rushed to the Emergency Room.  Her blood is so filled with Leukemia cells that she requires an immediate blood transfusion.  Thus begins this family's journey with cancer...

This family of 5 lives in a mobile home that is in such poor shape they are unable to bring Diane home for fear her weak immune system cannot tolerate the mold and dust.  Their daughter has to spend extra weeks in the hospital. While she was in the hospital, Candlelighters staff worked to help find donations and volunteers to repair their home. 

Candlelighters staff also offered emotional support to family, often sitting with the mom while chemotherapy is injected into her daughter's spinal column or sitting with Diane while she waits for the doctor to see her. Diane is now 16 years old and she and her family have adjusted to treatment.  She will have another year of chemotherapy, but the family is coping well emotionally. Diane is able to complete her schoolwork at home.  She is able to socialize with friends and begin living the life of a 16-year-old.

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Doctors gave Katia little chance to live. She's now 5 years old!!!

If you don't believe in miracles, then you have never met Katia Curtis. Katia has overcome more challenges in five years, than most adults encounter in their lifetime. When Tessa, Katia's Mom, was thirty-four weeks pregnant, she went in for a checkup with her doctor because she couldn't feel Katia moving. Her doctor decided that Katia needed to be delivered that day. At birth, Katia was placed on a ventilator because of respiratory distress syndrome. Both her heart and liver were enlarged. In addition, Katia was diagnosed with two intraventricular hemorrhages (brain bleeds), a Grade III and Grade IV. Doctors were not sure if Katia was going to survive. Katia proved them wrong!

Katia got stronger, but her doctors were preparing her family for the worst case scenario. They said Katia would need a feeding tube when she came home from the hospital. Katia proved the doctors wrong again. She came home able to drink from a regular bottle.

ABC teaches Katia's parents therapeutic tactics to reach her goals and mature in her speech, motor, and cognitive skills. Even though she is now diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Turner's syndrome, Katia recently turned 5 and continues to amaze the medical community with her progress. According to her neurologist, based on Katia's medical records, she shouldn't be crawling, feeding herself or trying to communicate with others. However, Katia loves to prove people wrong. If you give her a challenge, she will overcome it. With the love and support from her family, many prayers, and the support from Any Baby Can, ECI and her other therapists, Katia will continue to meet and exceed expectations.

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