Henry, born prematurely with a slim chance of survival, faced brain bleeds and developmental challenges. Little Light House, a school for special needs children, changed their lives. The staff’s love and support helped Henry thrive, fostering inclusion and pushing him to develop new skills. As Henry’s time at the school comes to an end, his family is forever grateful and plans to donate to help others in need.
Henry was born at 24 weeks gestation, weighing 1lb 12oz, with a 10% chance to live. During his six-month NICU stay, he developed bilateral brain bleeds. It slowly progressed to stage four bleeds, causing part of his brain to die. The doctor told us this would lead to decreased motor and social development, but we wouldn’t realize how slow his development would be until a couple of years later. Before one of his nine surgeries, a developmental test showed he had a three-month-old mentality at two years of age. When they gave us this result, putting an actual age to his brain was gut-wrenching. We spent the first couple of years in constant therapy with SoonerStart. I kept thinking he would eventually grow out of it. Accepting that my child has a disability is one of the hardest things I had to go through. For me, it meant coming to terms with several disabilities. Henry is entirely dependent on us for all of his needs.
Holden, my husband, was in school to receive his doctorate when Henry was in the NICU. When Henry finally came home from the hospital, we had to quarantine, making it extremely difficult for me, as a new mom, to always care for him. Consequently, Holden had to quit school to come home and help. He got a job that did not fit his master’s degree but something to bring in money. We were struggling financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
During this time, Henry’s therapist mentioned Little Light House. I instantly put up my walls. There was no way I could send my three-year-old son with very special needs to a school with people who didn’t know him. It wasn’t “letting go” that was difficult; with Henry, I was scared for his life. Little did I know…
Little Light House has changed our lives. They love our boy so well and pray over him every day. The joy Henry receives is evident by his huge smile when the staff greets him at the door. Each staff member believes he has full potential for all activities, just as other kids do. They adapt everything to include him with the other kids. As a parent, inclusion is everything. My child is different from others, but Little Light House doesn’t see him that way. They make him work hard so he can experience and develop new skills.
With a heavy heart, this is Henry’s last year at Little Light House. They have been a part of our family for four years. They have watched me bring two more babies and my family grow. To say I am grateful for our time here is not enough. The love and support my family has received here is priceless. We are forever thankful for the opportunity to come here. During the most challenging time in my life, we could send Henry to Little Light House free of charge because of generous donations given to the school. Moving forward, we will always donate to Little Light House in hopes of helping that struggling family we once were.
Written by Henry’s Mom