Current Needs

{Building on Stacy's Strengths}

Martha Appiah sees a lot of herself in her daughter Stacy. At age 5, Stacy is fast and full of energy. Too much energy sometimes, her mother says with a laugh. As a two-time Olympian 400-meter relay runner for Ghana in West Africa, Martha may some day encourage Stacy to channel her abundant energy toward running. For now, however, she is thrilled that Stacy is thriving in a typical kindergarten and has “caught up” with her peers.

Stacy was born in May 2004 at 28 weeks gestation, weighing just 2 pounds, 11.4 ounces. She spent the first six weeks of her young life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where she required oxygen, IVs, a feeding tube and several blood transfusions to survive and grow.

Stacy’s parents, Martha and Kwabena, have a deep appreciation for her resilience. As keen observers of her growth and strength, they sought assistance more than three years ago when they first became concerned about her development and communication skills. “She was the only child at home,” shared Martha. “And I knew she needed to be with other people and other children.”

Stacy began attending the Center in September 2006 at age 2. Like many children born prematurely, she was sensitive to noise and other sensory input, and had language delays. According to Mary Nicholson, her Early Intervention teacher, Stacy initially spent much of her time quietly observing her classmates and teachers.

Stacy became increasingly active and engaged in the classroom. By the end of her first school year, her vivid expressions revealed that songs and finger plays were among her favorite activities. Building on Stacy’s particular strengths and interests, her Individual Education Plan (IEP) included goals to increase her expressive language and social skills.

In preschool, Stacy loved to play with dolls and to dress up. Prior to making significant progress in her expressive skills, she usually answered questions with short phrases, according to her teacher, Kara Beckner-Evans. By her second year of preschool, Stacy loved being a teacher’s helper and enjoyed her friends’ successes. Her eagerness to learn and willingness to persevere were major factors in her continued success.

Stacy was “mayor of the class” by the spring of her final year at the Center, says Kara, and she became a classroom leader who encouraged the other children.  When evaluated for kindergarten prior to graduating from the Center in June 2009, Stacy no longer qualified for special services. “It is all because of the Center,” Martha repeated several times. “She talked so much by the end of the year!”

Eager for the next challenge, Stacy moved on quickly to the thrill of kindergarten this past fall and the excitement of learning new things. “She is doing wonderful! She loves her teacher,” Martha shared. “Her kindergarten teacher shows us how much progress she is making.”

While Columbus is a long way from Ghana and supporting a child with developmental delays may appear very different from training for the Olympics, Stacy’s race is one that Martha feels her family has won. While Stacy may not aspire to be a world-class runner like her mother, it is certain that she has the strength and confidence within her to try, if that is her desire.