CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Katie’s our success story |

BY CHERYL BARNARD
Cheryl Barnard is chair of the
- board of the Child Development
Centre, This year marks the 20th
anniversary of the establishment

of the centre in 1974,
UR DAUGHTER
Kathleen (Katie)

was born in Sep-
tember, 1984.

At8 Ibs. 9 oz, she was not as
-big as her older brother (a 10-
pounder) had been at birth.

So, during Katic’s first few
weeks I tried to convince myself
that because she had been smaller
at birth, I shouldn’t be comparing
her to her older brother.

By the time I took Katie to have
her two month shots I was begin-
ning to become concerned with
her Jack of development.

She wasn't lifting her head,
wasn't smiling or making eye
contact,and she kept her arms
bent with her hands in fists up
near her face and her head sharp-
ly turned io one side or the other,

The Public Health Nurse also
noticed Katie’s lack of typical de-
velopment and this helped me to
be able to face my concems,

Our family. physician and the
pediatrician diagnosed Katie as
being a Floppy Baby, having
Hypotonia (which means low
muscle tone) and a developmental
delay.

Eventually, ber diagnosis was
cerebral palsy,

Katie was referred to the Ter-
race Child Development Centre.

' The doctors said that Katie
could receive therapy at the
centre to help her development.

“Having. recently moved here
from Prince Rupert, I had never
heard of the CDC,

: The day before our appointment
we drove over to the CDC to
make sure we knew where to find
it.

The day of the appointment I
was to meet my husband Kevin at
the CDC,

He was able to take some time
off work to come to the appoint-
ment.

“Even though we had made the
trial run the day before I managed
to get lost.

I arrived to mect Kevin at the
CDC with Katie and our twor
year-old, Gavin, late and

Qustered.

I was worried about our baby,
afraid to think about what all this
would mean for her future, and
unsure of my strength to cope.

To top it off now I was worried
that I’d caused us to miss this
very important appointment.

In we all trooped to the CDC,

My latest worries were put to —

rest, —

The atmosphere of the Child
Development Cente was wel-
coming.

No, we hadn't missed. the ap-
pointyent. Yes, of course they’d
still see us.

We went inte the physiotherapy
room, and I could immediately
sce why, when I’d been told to
bring along my two-year-old, that
he wouldn’t be in the way. There

were toys.

He got busy playing while
Margaret Dediluke
(physiofoccupational —_ therapist)

jooked over Katie,

During the past week, since the
physicians told us that Katie had
a delay, we'd spoken with friends
and relatives,

The reactions ranged from
“No, don’t worry, she’s too small
to know, I’m sure there’s nothing
wrong with her’ to ‘Ob dear,
what are you going to do?”’

With Margaret and the other
stalf at the CDC we dida’t hear
any of that.

We heard what we needed to
hear.

Yes, Katie’s development was
delayed.

But there were things we could

do to help Katie.

Margaret showed us exercises
we could do to help her.

Every week we'd go back to the
CDC and learn some more.

The people there, both staff and
ather parents were friendly and
concermed.

I began to notice the attitude of
the staff toward the children.

All the kids at the Child Devel-
opment Centre were just that —
kids.

Sure they all had delays or spe-
cial needs of one kind or another,
but they were kids first and were

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 12, 1994 - B13

treated as such,

Katie began to progress slowly _
but surely.

She began to gain head control,
she began to hold her arms down
by her sides more often.

She began to smile! ;

All the milestones that came so
quickly and easily to a typical
chifd came later for Katie, and
each time she reached one it was
fantastic.

She began to demonstrate an in-
credible determination. This was

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Continued Page B14

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