Cameron: First Steps, Giant Strides
Cameron’s mom remembers visiting Childgarden when she was still pregnant with Cam. “We liked that it was culturally diverse, and that the regularly developing kids were with the kids with special needs,” she said. “We didn’t want our child to grow up feeling that some kids were different.” Later, when the family noticed that Cam (who was born 7 weeks prematurely) showed some physical and cognitive developmental delays, Childgarden’s therapists stepped in.
“Having the therapists there on-site was such a help to us,” she said. Because Cameron’s mom works part-time, the family chose to have therapy provided at the center. That way, Mom and Cameron can have time together on her days off-without the additional stress of therapy appointments. And it’s made a real difference for Cam, a happy little guy who loves music, wearing his sunglasses and watching Baby Einstein videos. “He progressed beyond our wildest imagination,” said his mom. “He’s gone from being 9 months old and still not able to sit up to 2½ and walking, even running all over the place, identifying things and responding, communicating with us… sure, he’s getting into everything now, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Childgarden is a joint venture of the St. Louis Arc and Easter Seals.