Find a Printable Version of Jude’s Story Here
Jude has a sweet soul with a curious brain. He is extremely loving and gives the best tight hugs. He is very determined, and his parents, Julie and Aaron, are certain their son will run before he stands in one place. Jude’s love for swings is so strong that they moved the outside swing indoors for the winter. “And Jude has the best belly laugh and when he gets excited, you’ll see him flapping his arms and kicking his legs,” Julie notes.
As Aaron and Julie will attest, Five Counties Children’s Centre has played an integral — and very important — role in Jude’s story.
“During birth, Jude suffered a brain injury that led to the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and Global Development Delay. Early on, we knew that Jude would require early intervention by experts in Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. At just four months old, we met with the Five Counties team, who have continued to be in our corner ever since.
“Learning about Jude’s condition was the most difficult time of our lives. As first-time parents, we felt lost trying to navigate the early days with so many questions and fears. Having Five Counties’ clinicians in our corner has eased all our worries. They worked tirelessly to establish a Jude-focused care plan, meeting him where he’s at, with the goal of improving his outcomes and helping him define his own journey.
“At the Centre, Jude benefits from occupational and physiotherapy and is on the waitlist for the first step in his speech therapy treatment. With his recent start at daycare this September, Jude now also sees a resource consultant, who has been pivotal in this large transition.
“Jude’s main goal is movement, he’s very determined to move, usually throwing caution to the wind. As Jude neared his second birthday, he was ready to test some walkers for more independence. Utilizing the device loan program at Five Counties we were able to feel confident in choosing the correct walker for Jude and our lifestyle. Jude was soon off to the races, speeding down the halls during our visits, while staff cheered him on.
“The biggest challenge for Jude is his developmental delay. He struggles to process information and follow directions, which at times poses a significant safety risk for him. Jude babbles a lot but has zero spoken words. He has difficulty expressing his needs and wants, which causes him frustrations. Another challenge we faced as a family was trying to integrate Jude’s walker in the physical environment, to allow him the same play opportunities as his peers.
“The biggest impact the Centre had on our family was their ‘think outside of the box’ approach. Whenever we as parents felt like we had hit a wall with therapy techniques or ways to engage and encourage Jude’s progress, our therapy team always came up with different strategies to move him forward. Our Five Counties family also really helped us as parents, to focus on meeting Jude where he’s at, to not get too discouraged on the bad days, and to find joy in the journey.
“Our Five Counties team has played such an important role in our story that we can’t imagine the past two years without them. We credit much of Jude’s success to the Centre prioritizing early intervention. The services they provide are invaluable in aiding children to define their own paths without limitations to their exceptionalities.
“We will be forever grateful for the support our family has received. We cannot wait to see what else Jude will accomplish with the assistance from his therapy team at Five Counties.”
Interested in supporting families like Jude’s? Donate today at www.fivecounties.on.ca/donatenow
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Category: General News,Testimonials