Blake was born without complications but within weeks of his birth, we started to see signs. At the age of 7 months, Blake’s grandfather and I were given custody. Blake had lost weight, could not sit up, had feeding issues and could barely stay awake. We quickly reached out to the Missouri First Steps program for an evaluation. After a series of evaluations and a brain MRI, Blake was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. We quickly knew exactly where he needed to be for the BEST therapies, the Special Learning Center.
Blake started at SLC within the next few weeks. He brought his smile and determination to the Center. Blake had ongoing speech, occupational and physical therapies each week. He worked hard at reaching his milestone goals. We were told if Blake could not sit up on his own by age of 2, he would likely not be able to walk. We were so excited he started sitting at the age of 1.5. At age 2, Blake was diagnosed with seizures. We immediately began treatment and were so thankful his seizures did not cause regression in his progress. After Blake’s first round of intensive therapy at the SLC, he was able to crawl, and boy was he happy! He could go and explore EVERYTHING.
With the help of the Special Learning Center, Blake was able to get his first walker, kid cart and many other devices that help him walk. We couldn’t have done this without the help and support of everyone at the Center. Blake is such a strong-willed little boy, and he knows nothing is going to stand in his way!
