Our first child, Lucas was born happy and healthy, weighing in at 9lbs 3oz. There was nothing of concern from the doctors’ perspectives, so we began our new life as a happy family of three.
But once we got home, we knew something wasn’t right. Lucas struggled with sleeping and feeding. Six months later, he experienced an allergic reaction to his baby food and we had a scary experience in the emergency room. Thereafter, Lucas continued to have chronic vomiting attacks and ear infections. What was even more concerning was that Lucas seemed to lack an interest in the world around him. He wasn’t making any sounds, nor was he starting to walk, as many kids his age were.
Like any concerned parent, we consulted our doctor on numerous occasions. He reassured us that all children were different, but when Lucas reached his first birthday and things weren’t getting any better, I pushed the doctor to tell me what else I could do. He finally gave me the number for Threshold’s Birth to Three program.
Looking back, that day was the turning point in our family’s life. From the first day we met with the coordinators and therapists at Birth to Three, we knew we were in good hands. They evaluated Lucas and acknowledged for the first time that something was just not working right and that there was something we could do to improve his quality of life.
The support group from Birth to Three consisted of a general coordinator, an early childhood teacher, a speech therapist, and an occupational therapist. They identified ways they could help Lucas, and taught us ways we could help him at home. It was a comfort to know that we were not alone in this journey.
After a few months in the Birth to Three program, Lucas started to walk, talk, and eat solid foods. Today, he is a thriving 6-year old and he will enter kindergarten in the fall. Although he may still be delayed from other kids around him, we’re proud to say he can use scissors to cut out shapes, he can use crayons to make beautiful pictures, and he can even write his first name. These are activities that come naturally to most kids, but it was a difficult journey for Lucas and we are so thankful that Birth to Three was there along the way.