When Sloan was pregnant, routine testing showed that her daughter, Anna, had a chromosomal disorder. She was understandably worried. “It can be really scary to have such a severe diagnosis for your child.”
That uncertainty turned to hope when Sloan connected with SOAR365’s Pediatric Therapy program and realized just how helpful SOAR365’s therapists were with little Anna. Anna worked with her physical therapist, Sam Cipolla, on rolling over and sitting up. And thanks to her developmental services specialist, Brittany Gerloff, “Anna is definitely able to use her hands a lot more,” says Sloan.
When Anna was born, “we didn’t know the extent of what her disabilities were going to be,” says Sloan. They expected that Anna would need to stay in the NICU for one month; she ended up staying for six. It was a hard transition for Anna’s family. “There’s not a lot of research on Anna’s disorder,” Sloan explains. “There are a lot of unknowns.”
Sam and Brittany not only supported Anna’s needs, but they helped comfort her mother as well. “I was able to talk to them and get reassurance or affirmation or encouragement,” says Sloan. “I feel like they really care about our family.”
Today, Anna has graduated from early intervention services at SOAR365, and her mom reports that she’s happily “rolling all over the place!”
“Her smile is totally infectious and contagious and just so sweet. She’s ticklish, so she smiles when you tickle her or when she sees a toy,” says Sloan.
“Anna loves to be cuddled – that’s her very favorite thing to do. She likes to be held when people rock her and play with her. She just loves to be talked to and interacted with, whether you’re reading her a book, singing songs, or playing toys with her. She seems to really love people.”
And there’s nobody who loves Anna more than her parents and three older sisters.
“They just adore her,” says Sloan. “She’s their baby, and they’re kind of obsessed. My oldest is best buddies with Anna. She would definitely say she’s her best friend.”
“I think all three of them are more compassionate toward other people, including other children who have disabilities or different needs. My oldest will seek out people who have disabilities at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond or PARK365.”
Parenting a child with disabilities “can be so hard, but there is so much joy in it, so much hope and joy,” says Sloan. “A lot of people say, ‘I could never do what you’re doing.’ But I never think that’s true because you don’t know how strong you are until strong is the only thing you can be.”
Anna’s mom offers words of support to parents whose child is newly diagnosed: “If parents are going into this situation, I just try to encourage them that they will have the strength that they need,” says Sloan. “You don’t need to be superhuman to take care of a kid with disabilities. It’s just love and faith and not giving up.”
SOAR365 is the largest provider of early intervention services in Central Virginia—and the need for these services is growing each year. You can help! Make a gift today, to help support children like Anna.
If you’d like to learn more about how SOAR365’s Pediatric Therapy program can help you or someone you love, visit our website or contact us with this form or by phone at (804) 665-1231.