As summer closes and a new school year begins, I wanted to take a moment to share news about some very exciting developments for Thomas. You have all been so kind to ask. Life has been so busy for me to even pick up a phone so please forgive the long-awaited post.
Last month we moved to a bungalow in Etobicoke. Moving is never fun but at least it’s over. The house was very carefully chosen and is still being modified for safety and accessibility, but the great news is no more stairs! Thomas has a large play room/gym (20x10') off his bedroom dedicated to his learning so he’s thrilled too.
Thomas is doing really well. We’ve had a few set backs along the way, but overall his development greatly supported with regular physiotherapy that refines his mobility and allows him more freedom to move. Thomas also continues to enjoy therapy horseback riding which promotes balance and control while riding "Flurry".
This summer Thomas participated in camp run through March of Dimes which specializes in the same mobility taught at Ability Camp – a program he’s participated in since he was two. Both organizations follow the Conductive Education (CE) approach by teaching children (and their parents) to become more independent by changing their daily lifestyle. By repeating tasks and integrating intentional movement with learning, the brain creates alternate pathways to send messages to muscle groups creating the desired movements, recovery and rehabilitation. The learning gains from this approach have been nothing short of phenomenal for Thomas over the years—getting him out of the wheelchair, walking from A-B, being engaged and empowered to do so many tasks while learning academics. It was huge added value to have access to this learning so close to home - and not having to travel out of town for lengths of time.
And now for the really BIG news…
Thomas has been accepted into The Academy of Conductive Education (ACE), a new service offering of March of Dimes Canada! It is the first not-for-profit Ontario Ministry of Education-approved private school for children with neuro-motor disabilities guided and grounded by the practice and principles of conductive education.
Staff resources for ACE include a principal, conductors, classroom assistants, and Ministry-certified teacher employed by March of Dimes. Thomas will also be supported by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and specialists in augmentative and alternative communication strategies. His learning will be supported by a 1:1 staff ratio – an incredible blessing on its own. And staff are exceptional!
This is a dream come true for us. We can’t wait to see what Thomas will accomplish, but the program comes with a hefty fee: $15,000 per year (more than double if not highly subsidized by March of Dimes). As such, we have started a massive fundraising effort.
First up is Tee Off for Thomas online golf auction. Please visit and circulate to any of your golfer contacts! As you will see, some incredibly generous golf courses (and a weekend getaway to NYC)have donated packages to support Thomas’ launch into school.
In spite of our recent move, we will also continue to participate in Harshaw's annual street sale with a raffle in support of Thomas. Raffle tickets can also be sold by those wishing to volunteer.
As always, we are thankful to all of you for your support. If you can think of any ideas—big or small—to help in our efforts it is so much appreciated. If you have any great ideas for a fundraiser, ways to include us in any charitable activities you’re already engaged in, or even point us to some golf courses that might help us with the spring version of Tee of for Thomas we’d love to hear from you. Your support has always paved the way to opportunities to further Thomas’ development and on his behalf, I cannot thank you enough.
I wish you all a wonderful September and start to fall and look forward to continued updates very soon.
Thanks again,
Linda
