Tag Archives: Honorary Ambassador

Looking forward to Walk With Me

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by Eva Delmonte

Eva is 12-years-old and was a volunteer at last year’s Walk. Recently, she came in to volunteer on her day off from school to help get ready for this year’s event. While she was here, she had the opportunity to meet Mung, one of the Honorary Ambassadors. She also took a little time to write some of her memories from last year.

I absolutely enjoyed the Easter Seals event. It was very fun to be at the zoo. They even provided water, other refreshments and hotdogs! The best thing was walking around the zoo and seeing the animals, especially the giraffes! After the event I got to explore even more because you get all all day pass if you go to the Walk. I loved this event and if you come, I know that you will too!

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Eva and Mung

To register for Walk With Me, visit http://www.walkwithme.org/philadelphia

Meet Lila and Emma

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by Melanie O’Brien

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Lila and Emma are 4-year-old twins whose personalities are as different as night and day. What they do have in common, aside from being adorable, is autism. In addition to autism, they each have unique needs and challenges. Lila, whose needs are more physical, began receiving services when she was about 3-months-old. Her therapists noticed that Emma, whose needs are more medical, might benefit from Early Intervention services for some feeding issues she was having. When it was time for the girls to transition to center-based services, a therapist recommended Easter Seals. Lila and Emma began attending the Early Intervention Center last year. Since they have started, Lila went from not talking, to stringing three words together very quickly. Emma is now starting to use some words. Both girls were given communication devices, that with such amazing progress, they have almost outgrown. Their cognitive skills are really growing and Lila and Emma are becoming quite social! When they aren’t busy wowing their parents, teachers and therapists with their progress, they are busying doing the things all 4-year-olds love. Together, they watch favorite shows, which include Bubble Guppies and Daniel Tiger and enjoying their favorite snack, Goldfish. Emma is big fan of technology. She loves to dance, especially in a twirly skirt. Emma may be Minnie Mouse’s biggest fan. Her wonderful sense of humor and love of laughter means you will often find her with a smile. Lila loves to read, Mickey Mouse is a favorite subject. She is a very affectionate little girl who loves to learn. Her quiet demeanor allows her to happily soak in the world around her. Emma and Lila are beautiful examples of how two girls can look similar, but be so uniquely beautiful.

Join Lila and Emma and all of the Honorary Ambassadors on June 4th at the zoo for our Walk With Me event!

Ambassador Update

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Will was an Honorary Ambassador for Walk With Me two years ago. Since then, he has been pretty busy doing some amazing things. His mom share some of his progress…

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This is a new picture of Will, he has grown a lot since his last picture!
He has been working hard and we are excited to report that he started kindergarten this year. He misses his Easter Seals friends but to our pleasant surprise he is in a special class with a few of his former Easter Seals classmates.

Will is working very hard on his standing and walking. He knows a lot of his colors and shapes. This is because he is really working on his vision therapy. He can now see approximately 18 feet! His CVI vision specialist was very impressed with his progress when we saw her in September.

Will is also doing normal 7 year old stuff like flying with us to Florida  over thanksgiving and was able to sit up by himself in the plane with no car seat. More recently, over Christmas break, he lost his two front teeth! (And I thought he couldn’t get any cuter!)

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To learn more about Walk With Me, or to register, visit http://www.walkwithme.org/philadelphia

Meet Will

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by Melanie O’Brien

Walk With Me is almost here! The energy and enthusiasm of everyone who participates is what makes it an amazing day. For many of our families, that enthusiasm carries throughout the year. Will, one of Honorary Ambassadors is a perfect example. His parents are amazing champions for his success and they work closely with the staff at Easter Seals to really maximize Will’s independence. We hope you have the opportunity to meet Will and his family, we know you’ll love them as much as we do!

Meet Will…

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Will is a well-traveled five-year-old having been to 15 states and Washington, DC.  Nothing holds him back from seeing the world; but how he sees the world is a little tricky.  In addition to developmental delays, Will has cortical visual impairment. Though unable to see at birth, through specialized therapy, his eyes are being trained to see.  To achieve this, it is critical that his vision therapy be integrated in every therapy he receives.  This specialized approach is why his parents chose Easter Seals. Since Will began receiving services, his ability to see the world around him is improving constantly. Will’s parents are happy to report that he now can see at least 18 feet and they credit the skill, care, and dedication of his Easter Seals team. Not only has his vision improved, he has become more mobile, and his tone, strength, and fine motor skills have all improved!  All of these strides allow him to do some of his favorite things:  swimming, playing, and listening to music.