“Turner has made so much progress and grown in ways we never could have imagined!"
Dear Friend,
What a year it has been at Sunshine School, thanks to you! Our transportation program drove 71,080 miles, we celebrated the graduation of 29 students who moved on to Kindergarten and we provided 15,303 hours of therapy to our clients.
The stats from the year are more than numbers to me. They represent your impact. They represent the faces and stories of families, all with unique needs. They represent new milestones and accomplishments for our students! One student that comes to mind is Turner.
This year, after months of practice with his Occupational Therapist, Turner wrote his name for the first time! We loved celebrating this exciting milestone with Turner and his family.
We know you will celebrate how incredible this is when you know more about Turner’s journey. His mom, Abby, shares more:
“When Turner was born he was a happy and healthy baby. It wasn’t until about 8-10 months that we started to notice some delays.
Turner was diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. He can struggle with behavior and is currently nonverbal. His circadian rhythms are reversed meaning his brain releases melatonin in the morning as opposed to at night, like the rest of us.
When he turned one, we started physical therapy. By the time he was two, he was in speech and occupational therapy, as well.”
Their story is so similar to many of our Sunshine School families. After noticing delays or after receiving a diagnosis, it is difficult for families to find quality early childhood education and therapy services for their children all in one place. They have to settle for piecing together services.
These families are looking for a place to get therapy, education, and support all under one roof. Thanks to you, they can find it at Sunshine School!
At Sunshine School, we offer a holistic team approach. We work with each child, from all different angles to address their cognitive development, physical development, sensory needs and social-emotional needs.
We are so thankful Turner’s family trusted Sunshine School to be on his team. We have loved being part of Turner’s story and celebrating his growth and his many accomplishments! We love hearing this from his family:
“Turner has made so much progress and grown in ways we never could have imagined!
We are so grateful for the progress he has made thus far and we know it wouldn’t be possible without the Sunshine School.
Turner wasn’t quite ready for kindergarten. Now with one more year at his most favorite place, other than home, he will be ready for kindergarten next year.”
It is because of Turner and other students like him, that we knew how important our new Kindershine program would be. Thanks to the support of our community, we were able to open this unique new program to serve students needing an extra year of therapy, education and support under our roof!
We invite you to be a part of Turner’s story. With your help, Turner will receive more therapy and continue working on using an assistive communication device to better express himself.
With your investment, he will finish his time at Sunshine School, put on his little cap and gown and march into kindergarten with his big smile.
With your gift, Turner and all his classmates get the unique tools they need to reach their full potential!
With your partnership, imagine the students who will take their first steps, learn to feed themselves, say their first words and be ready for their futures! Will you make your gift today?
With my heartfelt gratitude,
Cyndi Bilyeu
CEO, Sunshine School & Development Center
