Preparing Children for a Lifetime of Success: One Child’s Story
The years from birth through age five are
critical ones in human development. Sewall Child Development Center is dedicated
to helping children with special needs during these crucial years.
Through our early intervention services, we help young children develop
cognitive, physical, speech and social skills despite the challenges they
face.
Michael Munds is just one of the thousands of
children who has been helped by Sewall. Michael was born with a rare
genetic disorder called Treacher-Collins syndrome, a condition that
occurs in about one out of 10,000 births. Treacher-Collins is
characterized by cranio-facial abnormalities: generally, portions of the
skull are undeveloped, which affects the physical characteristics of the
cheekbones, jaws, mouth, ears and eyes.
Individuals with Treacher-Collins frequently
have some degree of hearing loss, and are more likely to have cleft lips
and cleft palates. And
because of hearing losses, many children with Treacher-Collins syndrome
experience developmental delays, particularly speech delays.
Michael was one of those. He was born without ears and ear
canals, and still was not speaking at age three. So Michael’s mother
Gayle enrolled her son at Sewall Child Development Center, where our
specialists began working with him to help develop his language and
communication skills.
His first form of expression was sign language,
but with ongoing therapeutic support, he began to learn to form words,
then to speak sentences.
And under
Sewall’s care -- and with the constant loving support of his mom and
grandparents -- Michael blossomed in other ways, too. Always a curious child, he began
to be able to better focus on tasks, not allowing his innate curiosity to
constantly pull him to other activities. And as his language and
communication skills developed, so did his social skills. He began to develop relationships
with his peers and to master the task of “playing well with others.”
And clearly, this
is a skill Michael has mastered.
You may not recognize Michael’s name, but
perhaps you remember reading about him in The Denver Post or the Rocky Mountain News. Michael was the second-grader who had a bowl-a-thon in
the wake of the bombing in Oklahoma City – a bowl-a-thon that raised more
than $37,000 to aid those impacted by this tragic event.
Michael also
has held bowl-a-thons to raise funds for children impacted by the
devastating war in Kosovo, and for Stephanie, the young Denver girl who
was severely burned after her baby-sitter doused her head in gasoline as
a “treatment” for a suspected lice infestation.
Michael
estimates that in his short life of 14 years, he has raised about
$150,000 to help those who are less fortunate than him. And in his spare time, he
volunteers at The Children’s Hospital. His efforts have earned him the international
“Millennium Dreamer Award” …
designation as Colorado’s VFW Volunteer of the Year, which
included a visit to the White House to meet President Bush … and a profile in People magazine.
Gayle credits
Sewall for much of her son’s success, noting that during his time at
Sewall, Michael developed his determination and self-confidence… his
empathy and compassion… and the communication skills he now uses so
effectively to help make a difference in the lives of others.
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