How Easter Seals Made A Difference For Me

English: Easter seals of the U.S.A., 1930s, created to support crippled children Русский: Пасхальные виньетки США в поддержку детей-инвалидов, 1930-е годы (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

                   When I was little, for some reason, I didn't crawl or walk(by myself) until I was nearly four years old. Other than my balance due to minimal cerebral palsy, doctors could not figure out why I was not yet walking by myself. My dad was in retail business(we moved a lot) and we were living in South Florida, so I went to The Miami Children's Hospital for testing, everything from head to toe was examined and they still didn't know. Luckily at the time, we lived in a one level home, so I could scoot or use a toy giraffe on wheels for a while, but my parents were concerned.



Soon, I was enrolled in a nursery school run by the Easter Seals organization. in Southwestern Florida. I began intense physical therapy, and probably a little play time. I think (I'm in my early 40's, so my memory may not be exactly right, LOL) I first learned how to fall, using a large earth ball; and with braces(ouch) on my legs, I began to walk. My parents and the therapists weaned me off of holding their hands, down from 5 five fingers to 1, and then I took my first solo steps. My older brother says that he'd never seen my dad cry but once, and that was the day I took my first solo steps down the aisle of the W.T. Grant's Department Store where my dad was manager. I also had Play Dough therapy with my hands.

Other than having my picture taken while I sat on a pony, I can remember one fun activity the Easter Seal nursery school did with us. On one Halloween,, we trick or treated in the Easter Seal office. I wore a witch's costume and the teacher gave us buttons with our names and a little drawing of our costumes. I had my button for ages.

After moving 7 times (all within the southeastern US from birth to 14 years old), I lost touch with the center. I recently needed their records to add to my medical records, but I guess they''d gotten lost over the years, and they couldn't find mine. I guess it was in an old file or something, but that doesn't matter; but because of them, I can walk on most days(except when my lymphedema flares up, but that's another story)! So that's how the Easter Seals made a difference for me! Wherever you are located, I hope you will consider them next time you want to give a few pennies to several dollars-whatever you can.



For more info on Easter Seals, please visit Easter Seals.com or
Easter Seals (U.S.) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Easter Seals : 2010 Seal Art Contest

In addition to the links above; you might be interested in The Drop Zone- a cool fundraiser that some generous people in Canada do every year for their Easter Seals program. Each volunteer raises thousands of dollars for the Easter Seals camps for children, then they have a day when they rappel down the sides of buildings(several skyscrapers). Now, that's commitment to a cause, and maybe a little crazy, too( but they are trained and have safety gear)!!! Still, I applaud their efforts. If you are on Facebook , The Drop Zone has a page there as well for their fans;The Drop Zone on Facebook
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P.S. Now that I shared my story, will you please share information about a favorite charity and why you think it is important? Check out the rules and guidelines in my first entry, linked here and then post a comment below or send an email to applause4acause@comcast.net . Thanks!

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cerebral palsy easter seals making a difference personal experience