The Gaffney Family
Meet Addelyn, our happy, fearless, adventurous miracle! Addelyn is a freshly turned four-year-old who loves art, puzzles, school, playing outside, and most of all, Mom and Dad's attention. Her curiosity keeps us on our toes and her determination is unmatched.
We were unsure if having children would happen for us, so when we found out we were pregnant in early 2020, we were very excited. Our sweet Addelyn was born two weeks early. She didn’t cry but quietly observed everything around her with her big, beautiful, blue eyes. She had some fluid in her lungs and jaundice, so she spent one week in the NICU before coming home. She was ours, and she was perfect.
During Addelyn’s first year, she was delayed in meeting some of her milestones like babbling, crawling, and standing with help, but nothing we were too concerned about. Shortly after celebrating her first birthday, we noticed Addelyn stopped communicating and interacting with us. We began to wonder if she was having trouble hearing.
After a visit with her doctor, it was discovered that Addelyn had conductive hearing loss and tubes were recommended. After the tubes were inserted, we noticed an immediate difference in her reaction to sounds and her use of new sounds. We were so happy!
However, after the surgery, Addelyn was still not talking. She was having trouble making eye contact and was showing other potential signs of autism. Over the next few months, we visited our primary doctor several times. The doctor didn’t think Addelyn needed further evaluations at the time, but we knew that Addelyn was displaying many of the characteristics of autism, and we were not going to stop advocating. We needed to be her voice. At our first visit with a new doctor, Addelyn was referred for a developmental screening.
The developmental screening indicated Addelyn may have autism. Just after her second birthday, we received her official diagnosis, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 3. Level 3 is the most severe form of autism, and it led to many new questions. “Will Addelyn talk?”, “Will she be able to communicate with others?”, “Will she be able to live independently as an adult?” All of these thoughts and many more crept in after we received her diagnosis. We had fought so hard to get to this point, we were not going to give up. We were determined to give Addelyn every opportunity to live her best life. And now we know with the help of DSC, this is possible.
Right after Addelyn’s diagnosis, we were connected with DSC. DSC welcomed our family in and immediately started providing therapies and other resources. Through Early Intervention, Addelyn received developmental and speech therapy. Our family also received support through the Parent Wonders and The PLAY (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) Project, both programs that enhanced our child-parent relationship.
We started seeing Nichole, a Developmental Therapist at DSC. We cannot say enough good things about Nichole. She is more than a therapist, she is like family now. She is caring and warmhearted and sincerely wants to help Addelyn and our family. During sessions, Nichole let Addelyn lead the activities helping to strengthen her cognitive, social, and emotional skills. She also began teaching Addelyn sign language to help her communicate better. Nichole provided our family with the tools and resources we needed to strengthen our family interactions. Our family has grown stronger because of the support from DSC.
Addelyn’s speech and communication remained a high priority. Shortly after her diagnosis, Addelyn was referred for an assistive technology assessment with Karissa, a Speech Therapist at DSC. Karissa recommended a high technology speech-generating device, and DSC was able to secure an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device for Addelyn in September of 2023. The device is a tablet, and the screen displays words like “more”, “go”, and “stop”. Addelyn can take her device anywhere and uses it at school. Over the last year, Addelyn’s has blossomed. She now has the ability to communicate with her device, which has given her so much confidence. She can use the device independently as we continue to add more words so she can fully express her wants, needs, and thoughts.
We did not realize all DSC has to offer, and we are glad to tell our story in an effort to share the experience we have enjoyed with the therapists who have supported Addelyn. The majority of the supports were provided in our home, a place where Addelyn is comfortable, which has helped her developmental growth tremendously. DSC has come alongside our family to help us navigate this unknown journey. We know with the tools, resources, and knowledge we received Addelyn’s future is bright.
Addelyn’s big blue eyes light up a room. Her laughter is contagious. She may not be able to say what she wants now, but her vocabulary is constantly growing, and she is happy to show you. We truly believe one day Addelyn has the potential to speak, and we will continue to be her voice and advocate for her until she is ready.
DSC has laid a strong foundation for our family to continue to build the best life for Addelyn. We are very hopeful for her future and know DSC will always be there when we need them. We are forever grateful.
Please join our family in donating to DSC’s Tree of Hope campaign so DSC can continue to provide hope to families just like ours.
Sincerely,
Jack, Samantha, and Addelyn
Please help light the way for our family and many others by making your Tree of Hope donation today!
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